A Thousand Cranes
by Primadonna MBC
Summary: A continuation of R2's epilogue, the one where C. C. and Lelouch are travelling together on a hay cart. C. C. and Lelouch hide their true identities to protect themselves by posing as a young, newly-wedded couple. However, what strange situations will the two accomplices face, but more importantly, what "strange" emotions will be revealed and what secret wishes will be granted?
1. Room and Board

**A/N: Hello, everyone. This is my 2nd fanfiction, so please be nice, but I hope you enjoy. The characters are most likely out of character, because to be honest, it's been quite a while since I've last seen Code Geass. Also, I know it's spelled as C.C., but I will most likely write C2, since that's how it's supposed to be said.**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass****, and anything have to do with one of the greatest animes ever (in my opinion), is not mine.**

The wooden door to the noisy and crowded inn opened suddenly and forcefully, attracting the attention of all of the villagers who were sharing the day's news and gossip.. In the doorway stood a tall girl who looked about 17. She had her long, waist-length green hair tied in a braid, while her bangs were long enough to be seen under her bright red boater hat. A white dress, with a green and red plaid layered over the skirt, graced her elegant figure.

All eyes were drawn to the black corset she wore over her dress, which had a fat cloth pouch tied. Jingling with every step she took, she came up to the bar, set down a large, brown suitcase and asked in a lazy drawl, "Where's the innkeeper?"

The room went completely still, save for the strange girl, as the men were slightly shocked by the condescending tone of voice she had used. The clattering of a wooden stool falling shattered the silence, and a wiry man with glasses stood up and nervously announced, "I-I'm the owner."

"I need room and board."

"F-for how long, miss?"

"An indefinite amount of time. We'll pay when we leave."

"I'm s-sorry, but you need to pay before I give you a ro-"

Her gaze drilled into the nervous blue eyes of the timid man, and he gulped. Carefully emphasizing each word, she said, "I will pay… _When_... _We_… _Leave._"

A grubby, overweight man sitting nearby laughed and asked, "We? Don't tell me there's another pretty lady with looks the likes of you."

The teenage girl ignored him and said, "Will you hurry up?"

Everyone turned back to the door, while the confident intruder looked impatient. The door opened again, allowing a tall slender figure into the semi-dark room. Strangely enough, he kept his wide-brimmed straw hat on, even though he was hidden from the sun's bright rays. The mysterious person walked up to the girl, who asked angrily, "What took so long?"

They didn't answer, and she rolled her eyes. Turning back to the anxious man and repeated, "Room and board. Now."

Frightened from her tone of voice, he licked his lips and slid a key across to her. Snatching it up, she demanded, "Where's our room?"

Hesitantly, the owner of the establishment pointed to the rickety stairs. The green-haired girl picked up her suitcase, and the silent man in the hat followed. Only when she had carefully shut the door, locked it, and drew the curtains of the window after closing them, did the unsociable man take off his hat. Taking off the balaclava that covered the lower half of his face, he turned around and faced his accomplice.

"What took so long?"

"The innkeeper refused to give us a room without paying for it first. He was scared of us running off without paying. But that won't happen, will it, Lelouch?"

**A/N: :O I hope you like it. Please review, I don't really like flames as much as the next author. Thank you for reading! Oh, more chapters to come if the response is good, so please support if curious to know what unfolds!**


	2. A Question Concerning Hatred

**A/N: Hi everyone. This probably sucks... so I'm sorry. But I do hope you enjoy. ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 2

Hours passed, but the new boarders didn't come out of their room, not to go to the bathroom, not to even eat; they were simply holed up inside. Downstairs, a small group had formed at the bar, gossiping about the two strangers.

An elderly lady said loudly, "You would think that the two would come out at least to eat, but all they do is stay in the room alone, doing who-knows-what, and-"

"But what if they're siblings?" cut in a young blonde man.

"I doubt it, they didn't seem like siblings." answered the old lady.

"How do you know?" he challenged.

"Because of the way they treated each other."

"One of them didn't even say or do anything, you can't say that." he pointed out.

"But you can't say they're siblings either, if you're going to be like that."

"It seemed as if they're married. They're probably newly-weds."

"I've never seen such a stoic, indifferent couple like them before though." commented a middle-aged woman.

"Everyone is different." replied the ancient lady.

"But what if they're actually siblings?"

She yelled to the man, "Will you stop bringing that up?! It's not that!"

"Then let's have a bet!"

Everyone voiced their agreements, and the young man climbed up on a stool. He said, "Me, Cian White, against Niamh! Will the two outsiders be siblings, or a couple? Line up and choose your side!"

The villagers surged forward to the slightly scared owner. Cian said, "Oi Brandon, could you be in charge of the money please?"

Bills were shoved in front of the poor man's face, where he desperately tried to organize everything. Just when it appeared as if he would faint, the couple came downstairs, the girl without her hat and suitcase, and the man still is his outdoor attire. The room went completely silent, as they passed the nearly-rioting crowd and into the field across the building. The villagers slowly spread apart, shoving each other, telling the other to go ask.

Finally, the man with the beer gut sighed and yelled, "_I_ will go ask, since all of you are acting like wusses!" Walking slowly outside, everyone trailed behind him to the field. C2, who was in front of her companion, turned around and saw the curious villagers creeping closer. She hissed, "Keep your hat on, the villagers are coming."

"I'm not putting the mask on."

"Do as you please, just make sure your face is hidden."

The overweight man had come close enough to be heard when shouting. He said politely, "Hello, Miss!"

C2 only stared at him passively in response, and he continued, "I just had a small question to ask you, as representative of all of these…. People."

"What is it?"

"That fellow over there…. How is he related to you?"

"I don't see why I have to answer you."

"But why not? After all, you _are_ staying here, and even if you don't tell us yourself, one of the villagers will find out one way or other. Wouldn't it be better for you to tell us yourself?"

"He's bluffing." muttered the teenage boy. C2 stole a look at him, and thought through things. They would most likely be staying here, and if they did find out while they were sleeping, or if they attacked the boy, they would find out his true identity. 'It would be far better to tell them a fake name instead.' she thought.

"His name is Leroy. And I am Cera."

"Well, _Leroy and Cera_, are you two siblings?"

"Siblings? Do we look like siblings to you?"

C2 knocked off the straw hat on Lelouch's head, causing his eyes to widen in incredulousness at her actions. His raven hair blew in the wind, C2's emerald braid followed suit. The dirty man chuckled and called out, "Then it's safe to assume that you're married?"

"Yes."

"Newly-weds?"

She nodded, and he said, "One last question."

C2 glared at him, but said nothing, so he asked, "Why is a newly-wed couple so cold to each other? Not even in the arranged marriages I've seen, do the man and wife regard each other with so much passiveness."

"There's no cause for me to answe-"

Impatient how this was going nowhere, Lelouch grabbed C2 and held her close, so that it appeared that they were kissing each other, when in reality, the former emperor was angrily whispering, "Why can you not remove them from here? Have you lost your touch, C2?"

C2 only looked up at him emotionlessly, hiding the fact that her heart was racing from the close proximity she was in with the boy. When she didn't answer, he gently shoved her away. Slightly confused as to why she was reacting in this way, the immortal girl stared at him, trying to find a solution to the perplexing question. The cry of a bird broke into her thoughts, and her attention was taken to the villagers, who were now arguing with one another, but also going back inside to the wooden lodging, which, just like it's owner, was great in height, but weak in looking sturdy.

"Soon, they'll be demanding to see your face."

"I realize that. We can just leave before that happens."

"We don't know when they'll ask."

"Which is why we should leave as soon as possible. How long will it take to finish our business here?"

"About a week."

"Finish it in half that time."

"That's not possible."

"Then make it possible, witch."

Picking up his hat, he pulled up his mask, so that his lower face was covered, and walked back inside. C2 fixed her eyes on his retreating back, and asked herself, 'That foreign feeling…. Where have I felt it before?' Shaking off the question, she went followed everyone. As soon as she was inside, an 8 year-old girl accosted her and said, "Sit."

"I don't feel like it." she responded. With surprising strength, the child grabbed the hem of C2's dress and pulled on it. Annoyed, the teenager sat down in the chair, while youth ran to the other side and sat down across from her. Once nearly on the same level as the fugitive, the child asked, "Do you love your husband?"

Taken aback, she replied, "Husband?"

"Yeah. That man. He's your husband, isn't he?"

"…Yes."

"Do you love him?" she repeated.

"Yes…."

Deciding something in her head, the 8 year-old nodded and said, "Good." C2 got up, thinking that it was ridiculous how this little girl was asking her this absurd question, when she said, "Does he love you?"

Looking down at her, the girl with hair the color of newly grown leaves in the springtime replied, "Yes."

"That's also good. Okay. You can go now."

Hopping off her seat, the interrogator disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Just as she was about to go up the stairs, the fat man appeared again. He said, "I don't believe we've been introduced before. The villagers call me Alexander."

"I really don't care."

"I just have a short, personal inquiry to make. Why does your husband not speak?"

"Are you a moron? I said I don't care."

Before he could say anything, she went up the stairs and to her room. Inside, Lelouch was sitting in a chair, a chessboard set up in front of him on the table. Deep in thought, he carefully moved the pieces so that the white pieces were in specific positions, and he assessed the situation. Without looking up, he asked, "What were you doing?"

"A little girl got curious as to whether I loved you or not."

Secretly startled, the teenage boy looked up from the chess board and asked nonchalantly, "What did you say?"

"The required answer to keep everyone happy. But everyone is still wondering about us. They'll keep asking questions, until they know us inside from out."

"Which is why I told you to hurry. We need to keep moving."

"I know." she snapped.

A silence ensued, and he went back to his game. C2 pulled her hair out of her braid, and said, "I told the villagers you're a mute. Be careful to curb your tongue."

"That's something I should say to you, not the other way around."

Dinner was brought up to their room, and when they finished, C2 opened her suitcase. Taking out a few clothes, she put them into a smaller bag. Lelouch asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm not running away, if that's what you're suspecting me of."

"I said _where are you going_, witch."

"I'm going to take a bath. Do I have to tell you everything I do?"

"You do. After all, I'm a poor, helpless _mute_."

C2 rolled her eyes, and she got up to leave, when a rare spark of generosity hit her, and she asked, "Do you want to go with me?"

Surprised, the Britannian stared at her, but then a sneer broke his calm expression.

"Why, are you afraid?"

"Now that you've completed your life goal, you've become a lot more immature."

"Why can't I be? I have time stretched out in front of me, never growing older. Why can't I act the way I should've had, at my age?"

His words surprised both of the immortal beings, and feeling slightly awkward, C2 said, "Fine, then don't come with me."

Lelouch stood up and said, "I never said I wouldn't go."

Niamh, having earned money through the bet, was gleefully walking home accompanied by her great-granddaughter. Suddenly, she ducked behind a barrel of water, watching two figures make their way down the dirt path with eagle eyes. A lantern momentarily lit up their faces, and she saw who it was; Cera and Leroy.

After they had passed a far enough distance, the old lady shook her head and said to herself, "Young couples these days…."

C2 slid into natural spring, the hot water relaxing her muscles while the steam enveloped her. She could hear Lelouch get in from the other side, and for a while, she was content with the silence until he asked, "Is it really safe for me to be here?"

"Nobody knows about this place except for me. I found it a few decades ago. You won't be found out."

With the exception of the gentle bubbling of the water, it was quiet until C2 asked, "Lelouch?"

"What is it?"

"What do we do after-"

"What do we have here?" cut in a foreign voice. C2 immediately stopped talking, and the new voice continued, "Oh, Cera and Leroy! How did you guys find this place? I thought only I knew."

The steam was blown away by wind, and the girl could see blonde hair. She looked for the black hair of the Britannian Emperor, but couldn't find anything dark about the hair she was seeing. Abruptly, there was laughing and the intruder said, "Leroy, I'm sorry, did I interrupt something? I apologize, I usually get in trouble for not having any tact. Should I go? Oh wait. You're a mute. Oh, I should probably go though, you don't look so happy. Where's Cera? Cera?! Where are you?"

"I'm right here."

"Cera! What are you doing all the way over there? Come sit next to Leroy."

Forced to go closer, she changed her seat and sat next to her partner, making sure her towel was securely hiding her body. In the clear water, she could see the teenager cross his legs and carefully smooth the towel wrapped around his waist. C2 finally saw who it was that disturbed them, and saw it was the blonde man from earlier in the day.

"Hi. I'm Cian."

No one returned his smile, and he continued to carry a one-sided conversation.

"Are you two really married? I've never seen a husband and wife be so distanced from each other. Wait, was it an arranged marriage? I almost got into one of those, but then I dumped water on the girl, so I managed to get myself out of it. But it's not an arranged marriage, since Cera told Elizabeth that you two loved each other."

C2 finally spoke up and said, "Could you please leave? Leroy and I have some things to talk about privately."

"Talk? I thought he was a mute."

"It's more of a one-sided conversation, but there are some personal things we need to make decisions about."

"Oh, yeah, of course, but before I go…."

Cian got out all of a sudden. The young man hadn't even wrapped a towel around himself, and usually C2 felt no reason to feel embarrassed, but tonight, her cheeks grew pink and she looked away. Not even noticing, the blonde villager walked behind the two and grabbed Lelouch's arm. Carefully putting it around C2, he said, "You should work on your intimacy. If I hadn't seen you two kiss each other, I never would've suspected you felt any good feelings towards each other. In fact, it appears more that you hate each other. So, have a nice bath, and become closer."

With that, the queer man just walked away, without even wearing anything.

When he left, C2 and Lelouch only stared at where he had been, completely dumbstruck with what had happened. A bird's outburst of chirping broke their reveries, and they noticed how they were positioned. Immediately pulling away from each other, it became awkward even for the emerald-haired girl. When enough time had passed so that both people's heart-rate had returned to normal, and all thoughts of what-ifs were quelled, she asked, "Do you hate me?"

"What?"

"Do you hate me?"

Caught off-guard, he didn't reply and only looked back at C2, who in turn was studying him. She didn't quite know why, but she found herself holding her breath, while he contemplated her out-of-the-blue question.

**A/N: More to come... I think I'll just keep writing this, regardless of the response from people. I'm not quite sure why, but I don't have much confidence in the success of this fanfiction. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed!**

**P. S.: Please review! But no flames because I don't like them as much as you don't. Suggestions are welcomed though.**


	3. The Piano

**A/N: Hello everyone. This chapter's extra long because... There are a few changes in C. C. and Lelouch's relationship to each other. I really, dearly hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass is not mine. Unfortunately.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: In the piano scene, the song is: Comptine d'un Autre Été. It's a very nice song, but not mine. At all. But please do listen afterwards, or during, because really, it's a very excellent piano song.**

Ch. 3

"Do you hate me?"

The two fugitives looked at each other, daring the other to say something. After what seemed like an eternity had passed, the boy replied, "…. No."

"But you don't love me."

It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. For the second time that day, Lelouch had to question his own feelings towards the witch. He watched her sigh and get out of the water, saying, "Never mind. Don't answer that. I'm going back to the room."

She went to an area behind him and dried herself off and changed back into her dress. It wasn't until she was nearly out of earshot when he replied, "I'm not sure."

Turning around, she asked, "What do you mean you're not sure? You said you didn't hate me, but you don't know if you lo-"

"I said I'm not sure. But then again, who would love someone like you?"

He had accidentally muttered the last part, but C2 heard him. Realizing what had happened, he looked at her, and he could see the hurt expression on her face before it melted into a blank face. She walked away quickly before he could do anything, and when he was left alone, he cursed himself for being so insensitive.

Getting out, he hurriedly dressed and attempted to run after her, but she had gone too far. Dejectedly, he walked back, dreading having to sleep in the same room as her. When he arrived at the lodging, instead of going up, he sat down at a table. Alexander slid into the seat across from him and asked, "Not sleepy?"

Lelouch only glared at him, unable to say anything because of his façade. The man with poor posture commented, "You have the most remarkable violet eyes I've ever seen. Did Cera fall in love with them?"

He shook his head in reply and he continued, "Then why did she? What did you do that made her love you?"

The "mute" only looked at him, annoyance written on the upper half of his face. Alexander gave him a sheet of paper and a pen, clearly telling him to write the story. Resigning to his commands due to his fatigue from the day, Lelouch took the pen and wrote:

"_It just happened."_

The man saw it, and he said, "Oh, Leroy, that can't be true. Every couple has a story behind how they fell in love."

_"The reason why I wear this mask is because when I was a child, my father scarred me, made my younger sister blind, and killed my mother. The lower half of my face is mutilated, and I've always hid it from people, and I've always hid from people because of what happened when I was young. One day, I got caught up in a riot and fell, and my mask fell off. Cera, who was nearby, protected me and helped me home. Once we were at my home, she finally saw me, my entire face, and I tried to hide it from her, but she said that she didn't care. She visited me everyday after that, helping both my sister and me, and I fell in love with her, at the way she didn't shy away from anything and how she just accepted things, at how she accepted _me_."_

He passed it back to the patiently waiting man, who read it quickly. Chuckling, he said, "You must love her very much."

Lelouch gave him a questioning look, and he answered his unspoken question with, "That's _your _story, not her's. How did _Cera_ fall in love with you?"

Grouchy, he took the paper back one last time, scrawled, _"Ask me next time. I'm tired."_, pushed his chair back while standing up, and ascended the stairs. He carefully closed the door so as not to disturb C2, who was facing the wall while lying down in the bed, but she said, "You're sleeping on the floor."

"I know."

"Then good."

Changing into his sleeping attire, he lay down on the blanket on the floor, and the room was silent and dark again. Lelouch was in the middle of his internal debate on whether to say anything or not, when the girl on the bed asked, "What is it that you want to say, Lelouch?"

"Do you love me?"

"Do I love you?"

"Yes, C2. Do you love me?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with the teenager's surprising anxiety at her answer. She finally said, "What if I do? What are you going to do then?"

He didn't reply, and she continued, "Let's make a deal then. I'll tell you if you do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Agree first."

"Tell me first."

"I don't have to answer your question. I feel no obligation to."

In his mind, Lelouch told himself that he didn't need to know the way she felt about him, but for a strange reason, he felt a pressing need to know. Heaving a sigh, he asked, "What's your favor?"

"Is this you consenting?"

"Yes."

"Tomorrow night then."

"Tomorrow night what?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow night."

"Why _tomorrow night_? Why not _now_?"

"I never knew you were so interested in whether I loved you or not."

"I'm not _that _interested."

"Then you can wait until tomorrow night."

Miffed, Lelouch didn't say anything, until the next afternoon, when he asked while they were eating lunch, "What's the favor?"

"The favor? Oh, right, the favor."

"What is it?"

"How are your fingers, Lelouch?"

"My fingers? Why?"

"I want you… I want you to play the piano for me."

"The piano? Where? Where, in this village, would there be a piano? Don't tell me you found a supposedly secret one decades ago either."

"There's one downstairs. Just one piece will do."

"Can I know _why_? I never thought you would have a request like this."

"I never would have guessed you would have asked me if I loved you."

Ignoring her comment, he queried, "Is there a specific song you want me to play?"

"A song… Full of sincerity."

He looked up from his plate, and at the girl across from him, who in turn was gazing out of the window and into the vast field laid out beneath them as far as the eye could see. For the remainder of the meal, they didn't speak, leaving the other to their thoughts. When the plates had been relieved of their food, C2 stood up and said, "I'm going to go out."

Before he could ask to do what, she added, "To complete our business here."

Leaving the plates, she exited the room, abandoning the Britannian youth. Sighing, he put on his mask, stacked the plates, and went downstairs after a considerable amount of time had passed. Leaving the plates on the bar for the innkeeper to pick up, he just stood there for a second, wondering what to do now, when Cian rushed up to him. The excited eccentric asked, "How are you, Leroy?"

Lelouch only looked at him, as his now-customary response to most questions, and Cian said, "Good? Good. I'm feeling great. I was just wandering around, and I happened on this flower. Isn't it beautiful?"

He held up a flower, fully bloomed. Cian suggested, "Why don't you go pick some for Cera, as a nice surprise? Actually, that's a pretty good idea. Why don't you? Let's go, Leroy."

Grabbing the helplessly silent boy, the villager took him by the arm and dragged him onto the dirt path. After 15 minutes of tuning out his chattering, Lelouch saw a large field, completely full of flowers, gently swaying in the breeze. Carefully walking down the small hill, the blonde asked, "What type of flowers does Cera like?"

The pretend trader was at a loss, realizing that he knew almost nothing about C2's preferences. Following the busy villager, he strolled up and down the rows of flower bushes, just examining them and wondering which one to give to C2. Cian came up form behind and asked, "Why not these carnations?"

7 carnations were gently put into his hands, a jumble of red and white buds. In his mind, Lelouch commented, "They're much too common for C2." In the distance, he saw pink camellias and peonies. Carefully detaching them from their bushes, soon, he had 14 red, white, and pink flowers staring up at him. It wasn't until Cian commented, "The sun's about to set soon." that Lelouch noticed how much time had passed while he was painstakingly scrutinizing the flowers he picked. The cheerful man asked, "Do you want to go back, Leroy? I know you were reluctant to come here, but I thought it would be a good idea to get some flowers for your wife. To show her you love her."

Lelouch nodded in reply, and he smiled, asking, "Really? You thought it was a good idea?"

He nodded again, and he grinned, saying to himself, "I knew it was a good one. I just knew it."

The tired teenager got ready to go back to the inn, when something caught his eye. Cian asked, "Where are you going?" But he just ignored him.

'Just one last touch. I'm sure C2 will love these.'

Ignoring his bewilderment at his thoughts, he obtained the last flowers; baby's breath. Adding them to the bouquet, he joined Cian again, who was waiting at the top of the hill. As they were walking back, he asked, "So, Leroy…. Do you think Cera will like them?"

Nodding once again in agreement, a comfortable silence ensued, which was something alien to Lelouch. He thought, 'He's actually adequate company, if you look past his… strange habits."

They arrived, and the fair-haired villager waved, calling out, "I hope Cera likes them! Good luck, Leroy!"

'Good luck for what?'

He was about to go inside, when he heard a familiar voice say, "Leroy!"

Turning around, he saw Alexander with a surprised expression on his face.

"So you're not as cold as I thought. Cera was asking where you were, since you were gone for half the day. She was getting very worried, but I see nobody could find a trace of you because you went to get a gift for her. Did Cian take you?"

The teenager nodded, and the broad man said, "Awfully nice of you. He must really like you two. The field he took you to is his…. Well, _he_ calls it a flower garden, but we all see it as a flower plantation. But anyways, he, and everyone else who lives here, prizes his botanical creations. You managed to pick quite a wealthy bouquet. How are you planning to give it to Cera?"

He shrugged and Alexander said, "Well, you had better decide quickly, because here she comes. And she doesn't look very happy, mind you. Good day, Leroy."

The middle aged man turned around and walked away. C2, just as Alexander had said she would, appeared right behind Lelouch and asked in an angry tone, "Where were you the whole day? I disappear to do something, and then you decide to just vanish without telling me? What we-"

He simply gave her the bouquet, and the green-head immediately stopped scolding him. A look of surprise crossed her and she asked, "Is this for me?"

In response, he muttered, "Well there's no one else except for me and you."

Wrapping her hands around his, she said quietly, "Thank you."

Lelouch pried one of her hands away from the flowers and entwined his fingers with her's. C2 looked up at him, and he explained in low tones, "They expect for you and me to become more intimate."

"They?"

"The villagers."

Understanding, but slightly disappointed his action was caused by the need to hide under their disguise, and not because of his will, she tugged him towards the door.

Dinner was a quiet, but fairly content affair. After the dishes were sent away, C2 was curled up on the bed while her companion was struggling not for his nervousness to show. When it was late at night and nearly no one but men who had fallen asleep were downstairs, the two crept down to the piano. Sitting side by side, Lelouch lifted the piano key's cover and only stared at it, attempting to swallow. Never before had he been this anxious…..

'No… I have been… But this is a different type of anxiety.'

Realizing he needed a small push, C2 encouraged quietly, "Play."

Lifting his hands to the black and white keys, he steadied his mind so that he wouldn't make a mistake, and began to play.

C2 had always known he was an accomplished piano player; after all, she had learned that he had begun at the early age of 3, and had continued on from time to time, to entertain Nunally. But there was something different from when he played for his sister, and him playing next to her, and just for her. She watched his fingers glide up and down, creating beautiful music from the old and used piano, which seemed to captivate her because….

'…because it's full of sincerity.'

Her line of sight changed from the hands pressing the keys to the owner of them. She studied his face, as she saw him relax completely, a rare thing for the troubled boy. On impulse, she reached up and moved his hair out of his eyes, which completely took him aback. The song was cut off, and the last note died in the air as their eyes met.

She murmured, "Thank you…. For the flowers… And the song… But most of all, thank you for your sincerity."

"My… Sincerity?" he repeated, a little dazed from looking so deeply into her bullion eyes. She nodded, and the usually passive girl had tears welling up, and he whispered, "No…. Don't cry."

"I'm not crying." she replied, and so Lelouch wiped away a lone tear trailing down her face with his thumb and asked, "Then what do you call this?"

She didn't reply and he said, "This is the truth, C2."

"Then show me your truth too."

She pulled down his mask, and they only stared at each other's genuineness; C2's tears, and the pain she had had, and Lelouch's true identity, something he must always bury from the moment he had staged his death. She thought, 'He was always alone as I was, and he's lonely and an outcast, just like me.'

"Lelouch, I…."

"Yes?"

Their faces inched closer, and when they were nearly kissing, she said softly, "I love you."

His fears were destroyed, and pleasure coursed through him as he made the final move and kissed her.

**A/N: Well... Ahem... Well... Haven't got much to say... I hope you liked this. I know it's not very good, but** **_I_**** enjoyed it, and I really hope you did too. Look forward to more chapters, and please review if you have the time!**


	4. Morrigan

**A/N: Honestly, I have NO idea how or when this is going to end, but I feel like it's coming soon (the end). So hang in there!**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 4

Lelouch woke up, squinting from the bright light streaming in through the window. He lifted his hand, to block the strong rays, and saw the same fingers that had played the piano for C2. Thinking back from the events of the night before, he chuckled to himself, surprised that it had only been last night, when it had seemed like weeks and weeks ago. Turning his head, he saw the back of her head and smiled at how calm and quiet she was when asleep.

"I'm not sleeping, Lelouch, if that's what you're thinking."

Sitting up in the bed, she yawned and stretched. Blinking from the sun, she looked down at the boy who had been just watching her the whole time. She said, "You staring at me like that is creepy, did you know that?"

Also sitting up, he said, "It's because you look so beautiful, even in the morning."

"Stop lying." she replied while standing and stepping across the wide mattress until she jumped onto the wooden floor. Changing her clothes into a pair of black pants and a white blouse, she sat down in front of the mirror and looked at Lelouch's reflection.

"Are you not changing?"

"I'm not lying when I said that. You do."

She smiled and replied, "You don't look half bad either, but I think you would be better when you're not wearing your pajamas."

"Alright, alright, I'll change. I hate wearing the mask though. I've worn one for the majority of my life."

"I know. And I'm sorry for that, but we can't help it, until enough time passes."

When they were both prepared for meeting the curious villagers, they went downstairs together, arm-in-arm. When they came downstairs, just like the first day they had come, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and just stared at the couple. They stared at the two immortals, and in turn, the masked teenagers met their eyes, daring someone to say something. Just when the tension got high enough for even C2 to become uncomfortable, the door slammed open and they all heard an animated voice yell, "HOW'S EVERYONE DOING ON THIS FINE DAY?!"

Cian, seeing the young couple, rushed up to them and asked Lelouch, "I take that the bouquet's mission was successfully carried out?"

He nodded in response, and the florist positively danced. When he had calmed down enough, he inquired, "So, what's on today's schedule? A stroll on the riverbanks? They have some excellent apples right now. Or a picnic in the field? A horseback ride? I have two horses. If you need to borrow them, by all means, please do."

C2 looked up at the Britannian, and she answered with, "I think… For today, we'll just go horseback riding. Should we, Lel…. Leroy?"

He nodded in agreement, and she asked, "Could we please borrow a horse, Cian?"

"Of course! I can even lend you Alexander's!"

The man himself said, "I never said that."

"Oh, come on, Alex. In fact…. Why don't we borrow both horses from you? After all, you're the horse trader of this village, and a fine one at that."

"…Fine. Do you two even know how to ride a horse? Leroy looks a little too….. Weak." he said not unkindly. Smiling, C2 replied, "Leroy? He's one of the finest horsemen I've seen."

"Now this is interesting. Are you really that good of a rider?"

Lelouch only smiled, not completely sure what to say. It was true that he had been one of the better riders when he was younger, but the last time he had been seated on the back of a horse had been years ago. All of the skills he had gained might have disappeared from constantly piloting a Knightmare. Cian brightened up and said, "I have a proposal! Why not we have a contest?!"

At this, everyone, who had gone back to their activities, perked up their ears and turned back to the excited man. He continued, "Yeah! Let's have Leroy race against Alexander! It will be the race of the century! Who will win, the mysterious young man, or the horseback riding legend?"

Almost immediately, everyone completely vacated the building, while outside, people were going home and telling the rest of their family, who in turn, followed the growing stream of villagers. Slightly alarmed by the sudden change of events, Lelouch looked at C2, who was also a little surprised. Catching up to Cian, she voiced her concern, "I'm not sure Leroy is physically able to race."

"You said he was one of the best riders you've seen."

"Posture-wise, but not as a jockey!"

"The worse that could happen is Leroy losing and everyone laughing at him."

"But look! He's not even a good runner? How is he supp-"

"Cera. He's also a man. We males have something called manly pride."

"I know that, but-"

"If you know, then let him race! Now… Is he planning to race in that button-down shirt and vest of his, or is he planning on changing?"

"He's… He's going to go change."

C2 dragged Lelouch back into their room, where he started changing behind the shoji screen. She asked, "Do you remember how to ride?"

"I'll be fine, C2. I'm not going to die."

"I'm just worried. I know how prideful you a-"

"I think you're just worried about _your_ pride more."

"Are you calling me egotistical?"

"Not at all. I'm calling _us_ egotistical."

He came out from behind the screen, wearing black pants and a white button-down. Putting on his nearly-knee-high boots, he stood up and took the staring girl by the shoulders and said, "I won't lose."

"How do you know?"

"Please, C2, I'm someone who destroyed and re-created the world in two years. I can win a simple horse race."

"If you lose…"

"It won't be just your loss."

She quickly kissed him on the nose and said, "Just try not to fall off. You're not exactly one of the most sturdiest of people I've met and remembered."

"I'll be _fine_."

They went back outside to the field, and when the spectators had spotted them, the majority of the crowd cheered at his entrance. Although his balaclava prevented anyone from seeing, Lelouch was smirking at their enthusiasm. Cian led a horse over, a tall, pitch-black species. The former prince could tell the animal was a proud one from the way it carried himself. C2 handed him his gloves, which he put on while the botanist explained, "This is Morrigan. I hope you're good at bending people to your will, because she's a spirited one. There's yet a rider that's managed to ride her and return home walking."

He looked the dark horse in the eye, who in turn, stared at him with attitude. After deciding something, he grabbed the saddle and hoisted himself up. C2 said, "Wait!" and ran up to the man on the horse. She grabbed one of his hands and said, "Be careful."

Nodding, he nudged the horse forward with his heels, and his hand slipped out of her's. She watched him carefully ride Morrigan to where Alexander was waiting on his horse. Cian suggested, "Should we go? I think they'll give front row seats."

She nodded in agreement and hurriedly walked, seriously concerned as to what would happen, and whether Lelouch would be able to even sit if what the friendly gardener had said was true. Someone had thoughtfully brought a stool for her, and she sat down. Brandon climbed up a ladder that was being held by two other men at the bottom and yelled in a deep voice, "ATTENTION!"

Surprised, she commented, "He has a voice like that within him?"

"I know he seems like the type that's scared of their own shadow, but Brandon is the village head for good reason. He really takes charge when he wants to. And I suppose, he wants to take charge right now."

"WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE RACE! LEROY AND ALEXANDER WILL RACE TO THAT OAK TREE", he pointed to an old and thick tree, about a mile or so away, "AND BACK. THE FIRST PERSON TO BREAK THE TAPE WILL BE DECLARED VICTOR!"

Morrigan shifted restlessly, while Alexander's horse looked as if it had a rough time simply holding it's rider up. C2 asked, "Will Alexander be able to race with a horse as weak as that?"

"Don't let looks deceive you. That horse has won many a race."

"RIDERS, ARE YOU READY?!"

Both men raised their arm, while each had their own problems with their equines. A blank shot was made, and the two streaked away immediately. All C2 could make out was the black of Lelouch's hair and horse, and then tan of Alexander's steed. She could hear people arguing loudly over who was currently in first. Her light blouse blew in the wind the two had created, and when they came back, there was no exception. Her black sun hat blew away in the wind, to only land in Lelouch's path halfway on his journey back.

Scared, Morrigan stopped galloping forward, nearly pitching her rider forward and skittered sideways, effectively disrupting Alexander's ride. The yellowish-brown horse neighed shrilly and reared up, causing for the horse breeder to fall off. People from the crowd immediately surrounded him, clamoring to check whether he was okay.

Lelouch struggled to control his horse, who he could tell was about to follow the tawny equine in its actions. Turning her away from the large group of people, he faced the tree again and relinquished all control of her. The second she realized the teenager was no longer controlling her anymore, she bolted. Becoming aware that it would take a while for the horse to wear herself out, he began unhooking his feet from the stirrups with great difficulty. He took a peek at the racing ground beneath him, and fear almost grabbed ahold of him until he remembered that he was immortal.

Taking a deep breath, Lelouch leaped off and rolled onto the grassy field. Despite his jump's impact being softened by the soft meadow, when he stopped rolling, he became painfully aware of each and everyone of the bruises he had earned. He lay there, not wanting to move his body because of the unfamiliar feeling of pain that he rarely had occasion to come across. He heard someone running to him, and soon, he saw C2's green hair shading his face from the sun overhead.

She sat down next to him and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?" with a worried expression scrawled over her face. Seeing her anxious about him falling off a horse seemed hilarious to Lelouch, because even though he had had guns and missiles pointed at him, her blank face had never changed at all. He began laughing; not the cold, heartless laugh of someone tearing the world apart, but true laughter, one that erupted from authentic amusement.

**A/N: I hope you liked it. I have Ch. 5 coming out fairly soon, as I already have the beginning. I was writing Ch. 4, and then I realized it was getting too long and it wasn't going anywhere, so we got two chapters out of one! (Kinda.) Stay tuned for further developments between C2 and Lelouch! Please review!**


	5. Clarence

**A/N: Hello everyone. Sorry for the late chapter. It took a while to write this one, because I had the dreaded writer's block. But it's gone now, so here's this extra-long chapter! I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property.**

Ch. 5

"Aaaa-aaaaaaaah….. Watch it, C2."

"It's more difficult than you think. There are so many."

Lelouch was sitting on the stool, while the person he loved most was applying cold compresses to the purple, black, and blue bruises all over his upper body. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to fight the impulse to shiver from the sudden chill of the cloths soaked in freezing water. He heard from behind, "Not so funny now, is it?"

In response, he laughed again from the events of the day. There was a knock on the door, and C2 asked, "What is it?"

"I-I brought some peppermint oil for Leroy's bruises. It h-helps with the healing."

She opened the door and saw Brandon, true to his word, carrying a tray with a jar on it. However, the glass jar wasn't the only thing on the tray. There was a full tea set, and she looked at Brandon questioningly, who said, "For sleep. I've had a lot of bruises before, and I know how uncomfortable it is to try and sleep. It's chamomile, brewed with the flowers that Cian brought over a few minutes ago. It will help Leroy sleep."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem at all. Good night, Cera."

She shut the door and set the tray on the dresser. Taking the jar of oil, she handed it to the aching boy and said, "I'm not rubbing peppermint oil on you. You can do that yourself."

"I never expected you would."

Reaching for the bottle, he took off the wet towels that were starting to warm up from his body heat. Placing them into the glass bowl of water, he uncapped the bottle with a pop and poured the liquid onto his cupped hand. The smell of mint filled the room, and C2 said from the bed, "That's a nice smell. One of my favorites."

Dryly, her "husband" answered with, "Really? I thought it was pizza."

"I said _one_ of my favorites. Of course the smell of freshly baked pizza is also up there on the list."

"That's nice to hear." he answered sarcastically. She made a note to herself to ask Brandon whether he was able to make a pizza or not. Lying down, she stared at the ceiling in silence, lost in her thoughts until Lelouch put his shirt back on and climbed into bed next to her. She handed him a cup of golden tea, the flowery scent floating into the air and intermingling with the smell of mint. Sipping from it, the two sat in silence, each reflecting on what had happened.

C2 leaned against Lelouch, and he twirled her long hair in his fingers, when she said, "We have to leave soon."

"Leave?" he repeated absentmindedly.

"Don't forget we're on the run from the whole world, Lelouch."

"I haven't. The mask reminds me everyday."

"I'm nearly done with the transaction, and we'll be able to leave."

"That's nice to hear."

"Where do you want to live, once we get to the West Indies?"

"Oh, are have they regained their name?"

"One by one, the Areas have been allowed more freedom, and are turning into states now. They're officially the Western Indies now, a group of islands forming a state."

"That's nice to hear that Nunnally's wish will be granted."

"Wishes… Do _you_ have a wish, Lelouch? Not one for your beloved sister, but for yourself."

"A wish for myself…?"

"It seems as if all you've ever done is grant other's wishes. You made Nunnally's for a gentler and kinder world, and you've granted mine, by genuinely loving me, but you, Lelouch… You've never voiced a desire for yourself."

"A desire for myself…. To see Nunnally happy."

"That's not for _you_, Lelouch vi Britannia, that's for your sister. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you like your sister better or if you like me better."

"I love you both, but in different ways. You should know that, C2."

"I do…. But still. No wish for yourself? You're an 18 year old boy-"

"I'm a man now."

"…._Man_. An 18 year old _man_, and no personal wish. _That's_ a likely story."

"I've just never thought about it. I was always busy with creating a new world."

"Well… Let's start then."

"With what?"

"Having a personal want. Where do you want to live, Lelouch, now that you have all the freedom to act out _your_ wishes."

"Hmmm…. In the West Indies?"

"Yes."

"How about… Barbuda? It should be mostly secluded, and I wouldn't have to wear that damn mask every day."

"Barbuda? I'll see what I can do. Ha. An island. How fitting for an outcast."

"I'm not the only one estranged from people."

"That's true. But Barbuda…. It'll be a nasty boat ride. And there are still heavy security checks."

"It'll be fine. We'll get to the island in one piece. Safely."

"I hope you're right, because I don't feel like getting shot several times again any time soon."

"How long did you say it would take to get the papers?"

"If everything goes smoothly…. About a day? Clarence wants to see you, though."

"Clarence? Is that the name of the shady man you're conducting business with?"

"It is."

"Well then, why don't we go meet him? I'm ready to leave this village."

"Then tomorrow it is."

. . .

Lelouch buttoned his vest and pulled up his mask. It was early in the morning, and the sky had yet to lighten and remained the dark blue of a sapphire. C2 pulled on her chocolate brown high heel boots, and when she straightened up, the two left their room silently. Locking the door behind them, they snuck down the stairs and outside. Going to the stables, they saddled two horses, one a champagne color and the other a dark brown, and rode away from the small town for some time.

After some time, C2 brought her horse to a halt and slid off. Clearing her throat, she waited for complete silence, where even the shrubbery stopped rustling, and whistled. She stood still until there was a returning call. Getting back on her horse, she said, "Follow me."

"I can deduct that was signal, but how do you know that's just not an actual bird, and not a person?"

"Because rose-breasted grosbeaks don't live in Southern Ireland. Now, don't say a word."

The two waited where they were until a small, mousey man ran up to them and said, "Follow me, please."

They followed the man, still riding the horses. They turned off the path and into the forest. Travelling deeply into the woods, they stopped at a place where even the strengthening sunlight was being blocked by the jumbled mess of tree branches and leaves up above them. There was a dilapidated shed, that looked incredibly creepy and seemed as if it belonged more in a ghost town, rather than in the middle of the forest. Lelouch and C2 dismounted and followed the short man inside. Once they had crossed the threshold, the door behind them closed shut with menacing clunk.

"It's _so_ nice to see you so early in the day, Cera."

"I brought Leroy here, to ease your suspicions about him."

"To ease my suspicions? I'm not skeptical about your husband. I'm just worried he may give me away. Now…. Can we see his face?"

"You can see it right there."

"His _whole_ face. His purple eyes… I've seen them somewhere before? Where was it again? Oh yes, it was _Emperor Lelouch_'s remarkable violet eyes. Not many people have the same color eyes as he did. But this mystery of a man does, who also keeps his face covered as if he were hiding something. Oh, and he doesn't seem to speak either. Is it because if he does, he'll give away his identity? His _true_ identity?"

"The Emperor died. It was broadcasted internationally."

"That's true. He was stabbed, and he bled all over the place, but that doesn't mean he _died_. You can be stabbed and still live, y'know."

"He's not who you think he is."

"Hmmm… Well, we'll find out soon enough. Did you bring the money?"

"Did you bring the papers?"

"The papers are right here in my hand, as promised. The official travel papers of the European Union, permitting voyage to any country with a guarantee of safe passage. Strange that a young woman such as yourself would need such papers."

C2 ignored his sly remark and said, "All of the payment is in this bag. Now give me the papers, Clarence."

A large, metallic briefcase was placed on the wooden table where Clarence had put his feet up on. Smiling at her briskness, he put his feet down onto the dirt that served as a floor and said, "Lovely. The money. And I'm completely willing to give you the documents, Cera, as long as Leroy over there takes off his mask."

"I already told you that he was disfigured when he was younger, and-"

"He doesn't look disfigured to me. In fact, he looks as if he's quite the looker."

"….He can't." repeated C2. The cunning man said nothing in reply, and when even the air seemed to move in the stuffy room, he said, "Go outside." to the two bulky men behind him standing guard. They did as they were told, and once the door closed behind them, Clarence moved to the curtained window. He rubbed the grey cloth in between his fingers and said, "A bit dusty, isn't it? Shall I open the window for you?"

Snapping it open, he momentarily blinded Lelouch from the sudden rays of light, allowing Clarence to grab C2. Putting his arm around her throat, the scammer pulled out a gun from his boot and pointed the muzzle to her temple. Lelouch could only stare as fear slowly poisoned him. The brunette said, "Alright, let's try one more time, Leroy. Take off your mask, or your wife pays for your indecisiveness."

"Leroy." she said calmly. His eyes turned to her passive face and he understood. She didn't want him to reveal his identity to Clarence, or else they would have to kill the despicable man. Eventually, fear lost its grip on him, and he shook his head in response. The grip around C2's throat tightened and she let out an involuntary gasp as she struggled for air. He cocked the gun, and grim sound of the gun clicking to ready itself to shoot a bullet returned the fear back to Lelouch. He looked back and forth between the threatener and the hostage.

"Still can't decide? Do you really love her? Or are you just not believing this? Here, I'll help you face reality."

Taking the gun's aim from her forehead to Lelouch, Clarence pulled the trigger. Excruciating pain shot through his right knee and he could see blood pooling on the floor the second his leg gave out. Looking up with pain on his face, he pulled down his mask without hesitation and said, "DON'T SHOOT HER."

"As I thought. Nobody'll believe that the infamous Emperor was here, _kneeling before me_."

"I showed you who I am, now let her go."

"Is this your mistress? Hmm…. You have fine taste in women. Mind if I take her? Of course you don't."

"No, stop it!"

"But _why_? You did whatever you wanted, why can't I? Is it because I'm not royalty? Honestly. All of you monarchs are the same, claiming that you're fair and generous, when all you re-"

Lelouch stood up with great struggle and grabbed Clarence's chestnut hair and pulled him down with him, as he fell again from the pain. The con artist's hold on C2 weakened, and she took the opportunity. Slipping free from him, she wrenched the firearm out of his hand and turned it on himself. Pulling himself up, he took out a knife from his belt and was about to leap onto Lelouch with the blade raised, when the sound of a bullet being shot ceased all movement in the hut.

"Lelouch, how much pain do you feel right now?" Pocketing the weapon, she rushed to the groaning teenager, his right calf and shin completely soaked in red blood. Ripping off the hem of her skirt, she pressed it tightly on his knee. Tying a tourniquet with another piece of crude cloth bandage, she lifted his leg, so that the blood flow would lessen. When his breathing returned to normal, she said, "I said that it was okay. Why did you have to go and get shot in the knee?"

"I was worried."

"I know…. But now your knee will be in agonizing pain for the next few days."

"It's fine… At least I didn't die." he joked weakly. Sighing, C2 stood up and dragged the wooden table and propped his leg on the edge. Taking out the gun, she checked for the number of bullets. Satisfied, she said, "I'll be right back. Don't move."

"I can't really move like this."

She stood beside the doorknob and took a deep breath. Cocking the handgun, she opened the door quickly and shot the two bodyguards in the heart. Rushing to their dying bodies, she checked for their pulses, and once she was sure they had stopped, she ran back inside. Kneeling down next to the injured, she said, "This is going to hurt." and put him into a sitting position. Grabbing his calf, she kicked away the prop and put it down gently. Lelouch hugged her, and she stood up with some effort. Helping him walk to his horse, she asked, "Can you ride a horse?"

"I'll see what I can do."

"If you can't, say so. If you fall of-"

"I'm not going to fall off. The more important question is, what are we going to do with the dead bodies? And what will we tell the villagers?"

"We leave the bodies. Nobody will miss them; you and I are the only people who know of their existence in the area, and by the time someone _does_ chance upon them, we'll be gone from here. As for our cover-up story…. We'll manage. We need to get you to a bed first."

Cian saw them come down the road and was extremely alarmed from seeing Leroy slumped over. Rushing to them, he asked, "What happened?"

"There isn't time to explain, Cian. We need to get Leroy to a bed."

"Of course!"

Lelouch slipped off his horse, dazed at his surroundings. The last thing he remembered before blackness was C2, saying, "You'll be fine. You'll be okay."

**A/N: Well then... ON TO CHAPTER SIX!**


	6. Searching For A Wish

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took such a long time for this chapter. I got the dreaded Writer's Block, and it wouldn't go away! I kept thinking about the story for like a week, and no ideas would come! But then BAM, it did, and a long chapter was born unto this world. I hope the long wait is rewarded with the chapter. I had to get into the swing of this story in a half-written chapter, so it could be a little strange. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 6

C2 looked down at the calm sleeping face of Lelouch and sighed in relief that he was finally getting a peaceful nap. For several days, he had been constantly throwing up, along with fevers and cold sweats. His leg was set and also swollen below the knee. She had gotten no rest at all ever since they had gone to see Clarence, save for naps and quick snacks. There was a knock on the door, and she walked to the door.

"What is it?"

"I brought Echinacea tea for Leroy."

"Brandon, it's very kind of you to bring tea, but Leroy hasn't been able to eat or drink anything, and I'm sure he can't right now."

"O-oh. I was just trying to be helpful."

"I know, and I appreciate the concern, but now is not the time. Maybe later."

"O-okay."

Returning to her seat, she held Lelouch's warm hand and said, "You're supposedly immortal. You've been stabbed before, and you've recovered in 4 days. How can you stay delirious for nearly a week? Lelouch, I need you to get better so we can go to Barbuda together, just like you wanted to."

Afternoon turned to night, and still, he hadn't woken up. When C2 came back from getting a basin of cold water for his face, she opened the door, only to see him sitting up in bed. She dropped the clear bowl in surprise and could only stare at him. Moaning, he was holding his head in his hand and said, "Why does my head hurt so much, C2?"

Running to him, she nearly pinned him to the wall as she hugged him with immense force. Grunting from sudden impact, he said in a croaky voice, "You may want to handle me with more care, C2. I'm still weak and in pain."

"Pain, my foot. You look completely fine, just a little hungry."

"Hungry is an understatement… I'm starving."

"I'll bring some food up. Try to see if you can get out of bed."

Smiling for the first time in days, she left the room again. Once she had closed the door behind herself, he gingerly moved his legs to the cold, wooden floor. Gripping the bedpost, he rose from the bed slowly and put all of his weight on his left leg. Once he had steadied himself, he cautiously stood on his right leg. When it didn't buckle underneath him and no pain was sent coursing up from his knee, Lelouch relaxed and took a step forward.

Just at that moment, C2 returned carrying a tray. She put it down on the table and said, "It's chicken broth for now, since you have a weak stomach right now from fasting for the entire time you were in a coma."

"I was in a coma?"

"Medically, you were. But it seemed more to me that you were just sleeping the entire time."

Suddenly, he started wobbling, and he would have fallen if C2 hadn't caught him. Helping him sit on the edge of the bed, she said, "You still haven't completely healed yet."

"How long was I out?"

"Not that long, but we need to leave as soon as poss-"

"C2, _how long was I out_?"

"….For nearly 4 days."

"4 days…."

"But it's fine, since you're conscious again, and your leg is getting better. But you should know…"

"What is it?"

"Nunnally is coming the day after tomorrow."

"What?! Why?!"

"She had a diplomatic conference with the European Union, and she wanted to see some of the villages apparently. The Knights of the Round are coming tomorrow to secure the area for your sister."

"We have to leave."

"I agree with you, but right now, we can't."

"Why not?"

"You can barely stand. How do you expect to ride a cart for hours on end?"

"My suffering is far less important than us hiding the fact that we're… I mean, that I'm alive."

"Lelouch, you may be immortal, but it seems you've forgotten the fact that you can still feel pain. Actually, the pain you're going to feel for the rest of your existence will always be greater than what's it supposed to be. A papercut will feel like someone cut open your finger. That is the price of immortality, to feel a more outstanding agony."

"Then what do you propose that we do? Just sit here and wait until she goes by?"

"No. I'm saying that you should rest, and if and when you get better, we'll move. But now is not the time. You should stop being rash."

"I'm not being rash."

"Lelouch, the only reason why I told you is because I thought you should know so you could be careful. Not for you to make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. All you need to do is just stay in the room and recuperate. Do you not trust my judgement?"

"… I do."

"Then just do as I say. You don't have to worry about it."

"So you're telling me to stay in a room doing nothing all day long?"

"No…. I'll find something for you to do."

"Good luck in that."

"I will. Now eat your soup before it cools."

He did as he was told, and soon he was feeling drowsy, as the act of lifting a spoon to his mouth was taxing. C2 sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his hair until his eyes closed. Sighing, the girl was, in truth, extremely worried. They had gotten what they had come for, but had killed in the process. Obviously, when the bodies were found, people would immediately think to the two strangers, one of who was masked the entire time. Now his younger sister was coming, along with his friend, the fake Zero and the Knights of the Round. He was right when he said that they had to relocate quickly; if they were found, it would be a mess too big for her to clean.

She looked down at his placid face, wondering what task she should get to occupy him when he said without opening his eyes, "You go to sleep too, C2."

"I thought you fell asleep."

His eyes opened, and the violet irises looked at her.

"How can I sleep when you're just sitting there? You're exhausted, aren't you?"

Sitting up, he put his hand on her cheek and said gently, "I assume that you barely ate or slept in the past 4 days? C2, your body has needs too. Right now, you're denying it energy and time to recover. Sleep."

"Alright, I will."

Soon the room was enveloped in darkness and she lie down next to him. Bringing her closer, he hugged her and said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For worrying about me."

"Why are you thanking me for _that_?"

"Because it showed me how much you really care for me. I know it's not something you can do easily."

"Well… You're welcome then."

. . .

A knocking woke them up, and the vert-haired girl got up and asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Cian!"

"What is it?" she said.

"I was wondering if Leroy's feeling any better."

"He woke up momentarily last night, so he's getting better slowly."

"Oh that's a relief. Could I talk to you, Cera? While looking at you, I mean."

She looked behind her at Lelouch, who was yawning and rubbing his eyes. He nodded and moved to the edge of the bed next to her. Standing up, he went to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. C2 opened the door and Cian said, "Good morning" while smiling.

"Can I come in?" he asked. She nodded and he stepped into the room. Shutting the door, she said, "What is it that you want to talk to me about?"

"Hmmm… This is interesting."

"What is?"

"I had no idea… Well, that's silly of course, but still… I have to admit that I'm still surprised."

"About _what_?"

"Does Leroy sleep without his shirt on?"

"Where is this coming from, Cian?!"

"Sorry. I mean, he always wears the mask. I suppose he doesn't wear it while he sleeps, does he?"

"He does… When he's trying to be extremely uncomfortable while sleeping. He hates the mask."

"I see… I think it's brave of you how you look past his scars and still love him."

"I admit, it was a bit difficult but… Why are we talking about this?"

"Well, I asked you whether or not Leroy slept with a shirt on or not and it led to this."

"Why do I have to answer that?"

"It's… Could you just please answer the question?"

"… He sleeps with an undershirt and pants. Now are you going to tell me the reason for asking me this kind of question?"

"And you wear a short dress?"

"As you can see. But why are you asking this?"

"Do you have any dresses besides the white one? And Leroy, does he have any suits? I suppose what he usually wears is fine, but…"

"Cian!"

"It's because the Empress of Britannia is coming! She wants to meet with everyone in the village."

"Everyone?"

He said yes and she asked, "Even us? We're not even normal residents here."

"She wants to meet you especially, because she wants to know what it's like to travel through the country."

"But Leroy hurt his knee-"

"She said she's willing to come to your room. She's very down-to-earth and very kind for someone with so much power. Very different from that evil bastard Lelouch."

"I… I um…."

"Well, I just came by to tell you. That, and there's going to be a feast in her honor tomorrow night."

"I…. Alright…."

"Great. You'll come, right?"

"After I see how much Leroy improves."

"Okay. I'll see you sometime later then, Cera!"

When he left, Lelouch came out of the bathroom and asked her, "What do we do now? He said she's willing to _come to our room and meet us_."

"Nothing. Your sister isn't as stubborn as you are. She'll back away if we refuse her."

"We can't just say no to her-"

"You're letting your emotions for your sister getting the better of your judgement. _Again_, I might add."

"That one time-"

"… You almost started on Refrain."

He could say nothing to that, and she said, "I'll bring you breakfast, so just try to keep your weight off of your leg."

He heavily sat down in a chair and nodded. When she left, he put his head in his hands, clearly stressing about his younger sister. 'What were they going to do?' he thought, 'C2 doesn't understand.'

"Lelouch."

"What?"

"What are you doing? Does your leg hurt?"

"Yes." he lied.

Shaking her head, she said, "Which is why we can't do anything. Going somewhere else is completely out of the question."

"We can still-" he began to insist, but she cut him off by putting a spoonful of broth into his open mouth. The liquid nearly scalded his tongue and once he painfully swallowed, he said, "Aaaaah that was hot."

"You really shouldn't argue with me."

Giving her a dirty look, he took the spoon from her and began his breakfast. While he was eating, she said, "I found something for you to do."

"What is it, a child's puzzle?"

"No. It's this."

She set down a large jar and what seemed a million sheets of square paper all different colors.

"What are you telling me to do with this?"

"Paper cranes."

"What?"

"Do you remember the first time we met after the contract?"

"You were with Nunnally."

"I was helping her fold a thousand paper cranes."

"…. And then you told her a _lie-_"

"What, that we had promised to share a future together? That's not a lie, Lelouch, it's the truth. Here we are, in the future, and aren't we sharing it?"

"Yes, but she misunderstood-"

"I would have thought you would have forgotten that. And as for your sister and what she thought… I don't control her thinking. That was of her own accord."

They stared at each other until he asked, "Well, what do you want me to do with this?"

"I want you to fold a 1000 of these."

"And what?"

"Think of a wish. For yourself."

"What is with you and wishes?"

"Because, Lelouch, as time flows on, finding wishes for yourself will become more and more difficult. Wishes are the basis for what makes a human being. Wishes hold hope, an essential part of living."

"So, after I fold this, then what?"

"Maybe your wish will be granted. And even if it doesn't…. It's something that will keep you quiet."

"Are you going to teach me then?"

"Yes. After you finish eating."

Nearly an hour later, she left the room, with the Britannian quietly folding the cranes. He was surprisingly deft and already 3 were lying at the bottom of the big glass jar. She went downstairs when she saw the Knights of the Round coming into the building. Going behind the bar, she ducked and hid from their sight.

"Do you think Zero will be satisfied with this?"

"He has to be. We've been searching for any possible threats since dawn. Hello sir."

Brandon, who was looking down at C2 with a confused expression, lifted his gaze and stuttered, "H-hello, sirs."

"We'd like to see the ledger for your establishment to see who is checked in."

"O-of course."

Reaching underneath, he brought up a large, leather-bound record and handed it to the Knight. As the two flipped through it, C2 cursed herself for being so careless. When a long time had passed, they gave it back to him and said, "Thank you. May you have good business."

"Th-thank you sirs."

When they left, the innkeeper asked, "What are you doing down there?"

"Playing hide and seek." she replied while standing up. She gave him the tray with the bowl and he took it while inquiring, "Is Leroy conscious?"

"Yes. And he's able to eat semi-solid things now. Do you have porridge?"

"Of course."

He went to the kitchen and came back with a large bowl of steaming boiled oatmeal. He chuckled and she asked, "What is it?"

"You would think it's a growing boy and not an injured man you're taking care of. Already asking for food like this."

Brandon shook his head and C2 only shrugged at his remark and went upstairs. Back in the room, she gave her "husband" the bowl and asked, "How many have you folded?"

"What's this?"

"Oatmeal. I thought you would be hungry."

He accepted it from her and said, "I just ate."

"I don't see you complaining."

"I honestly have no idea why I'm so hungry all of the time."

"You're 18 years old. That's a time for boys to grow."

"And you look like you're 16, 17. Wow."

"What is it?"

"I just realized, if I look 18 and you look 17…. People were probably wondering what our parents were thinking in allowing for us to marry at such a young age."

"Well…. Your parents wanted to kill 'God', and mine…. Well we'll never know."

"'God'…. They were insane."

"Yes, they were."

Peering into the jar, she counted how many cranes there were. She saw 35.

"35? Already?"

"You were gone for a long time."

"Have you realized a dream yet?"

Swallowing the oatmeal, he set down the spoon and said, "Actually, I have."

"Really?"

"I tend to be quick in finishing my tasks."

"Except for schoolwork."

"Oh please, I could have easily beat any of the _teachers_."

"That's _nearly_ true."

"Nearly?"

"Not your gym teacher."

"….."

"I'm just teasing you. What's the wish that you realized."

"I don't feel like telling you anymore."

"Lelouch… You're acting like a child again…."

"Why can I not act immature sometimes? Everyone else but Lelouch can? Is that it?"

"No."

"Then why are you always complaining?!"

"I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing it out. Now what's your wish?"

"It's a secret."

"Then how are you going to get it granted if you don't tell anyone?"

"You're not _supposed_ to tell people your wish. Or, that's what Nunnally told me at least."

"Are you really picking her over me right now?"

"No."

"Then tell me!"

"Okay, okay. Come closer."

She stepped nearer, and demanded, "Now tell me."

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her closer until the tips of their noses were nearly touching. He said, "My wish is…."

"Is….?" she asked, a little breathless by how close they were.

"I want to marry you, C2."

**A/N: What's that I hear? Do I hear... It could be church bells! But is it for a death toll, or for a wedding?**


	7. The Emperor Wants To Go Out and Play

**A/N: Ack! Sorry for the really late update! Um... On the bright side, I only have 14 days of school left, give or take, and then it's summer break, and from there, most likely super often updating! So hang in there! I hope you enjoy!**

Ch. 7

"Mar… Ry?"

"Let's get married."

"Lelouch, that's not funny. Marriage isn't something to be taken ligh-"

"No one said I'm joking. I love you, C2."

She stared at the Britannian for some time, until she straightened up and said, "… We'll continue this conversation later."

"You're the only one who can grant my wish."

"I know that. But honestly, if you're going to propose, you could've done it in a better way."

"You want a crippled man who's hiding his identity and a mute on top of that, to go out, buy a ring, and then kneel on the very knee he got shot in, and _then_ ask you if you want to get married?"

"Mmm…. Well, that doesn't sound all that bad."

"….. Then, when I propose the traditional way, will you give an answer?"

"We'll see."

"Do you not even feel a small bit of happiness from a man proposing to you?"

"Any woman would. But you forgot something."

"What?"

"I'm…. Well, in your words, I'm an immortal witch. It's hard to move me to tears. When you do, then we'll get married."

"Is this you saying yes?"

"I don't know, is it?"

She smiled as he tried to decide whether or not she had consented. Taking the empty bowl from him, she asked, "Are you done? Or are you still hungry?"

"Ravenous. This is irritating; the hunger won't go away."

"Somebody's growing up."

"Oh, be quiet."

"Are we upset, because you were rejected?"

"So you rejected?"

"No."

"But you didn't say yes."

"That's correct."

"Then… What's your answer?" the 18 year old asked. The emerald-haired woman didn't say anything, because in truth, she was feeling mixed emotions. She did love Lelouch, but marriage was an entire matter altogether. Their disguises would become limited if they became one under matrimony, and would hinder their ability to hide from the probing eyes of the public. She was about to leave the room again, when she heard the crippled man say, "C2. Do you remember when you told me that you had never met a man like me before?"

She only froze, with her hand on the doorknob, not replying or moving. He continued, "It's a given that I've never met a woman like you; an apathetic, cold, calculating, and snarky person, who didn't give a whit for anyone except for yourself."

"If you're going to insult me, the-"

"Isn't it strange, though? I could have had Shirley, or Kallen, or even Euphemia, but I chose the witch. Why is that, I wonder often. And then I realized it, when we were on the Avalon. Do you remember, C2? I was going to go to retrieve the key at Damocles, and you asked me if I hated you. I smiled then, not because I thought it was an obvious answer that I did detest you, but because it amused me."

"In what way?" she finally spoke.

"Because I loved you then. And you asking me whether I hated you…. Well…. I couldn't believe it myself, and to think that you thought that abhorred you…."

"Where are you going with this, Lelouch?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I fell in love with you. And I can't tell you often enough that I love you. Also, C2, you know that I'm not one to break promises easily without good reason. I will continue loving you."

"And?"

"Do you love me?" he inquired.

"I don't kno-"

"Look at me in the eyes and say that you don't know, not with your back facing me. Do you really not know for sure? Are you still confused? Hesitant? Afraid? That I'll leave you?"

The Britannian had silently gotten up from his seat and walked towards the witch. Grabbing her shoulder, he spun her around so that she was looking up at him. Eyebrows furrowed, his violet eyes intensely searched her face for even a hint of an expression. Upon the surprise, C2 had immediately donned her customary, neutral "mask". Before she could answer however, he kissed her. He was being uncommonly aggressive, and managed to push her against the wooden door. The bowl slipped out of her hand, shattering on impact with the maple flooring. When they broke apart to satisfy their need for oxygen, the man asked in a low, husky voice, "Are you still confused, C2, on whether or not you love me?"

Breathless, she replied that she knew now, and Lelouch smirked. Lifting her up bridal style, he picked his way carefully through the shards of the dish, and set her down on the cool sheets of the bed. He told her, "It's time to prove your declaration, C2. You don't mind, do you?"

Grinning up at him from her position on the bed, she replied, "Do I have much of a choice?" while unbuttoning his shirt.

. . .

"Goodness." muttered Niamh. She was sitting at a table near the counter where Brandon was. Shelling peas, she tsked and shook her head back and forth in disapproval. The blonde florist, who had stepped in for a short lunch break, asked, "What is it?" with a mouth full of sandwich.

"Listen very closely."

The snapping of the beans' hard shells ceased, and Cian momentarily stopped chewing. When he heard it, he turned a shade of red matched only with his roses. Having trouble swallowing, he reached for a glass of water. The old woman across from him said, "You would think that they would be prop-"

"Oh, give them a break, Niamh. They're newly-weds. Although… I never knew Leroy had it in him… Hmmm…. A voiceless person on top of that… I wonder how he did it. I should ask him."

Sighing exasperatedly at the gardener, the grandma refused to speak with him for the rest of his meal.

. . .

C2 brushed away the long bangs of the man who was fast asleep besides her. She thought, 'He'll have to get a haircut soon.' Lelouch had become exhausted, not only because of their spontaneity, but also because he was still a patient, even with his unusual healing abilities. She would let him rest, the pizza-lover decided; she reasoned that it would a good way for his to waste away the time they needed to bide before they could safely escape.

Slowly getting up so that she didn't disturb the napping person, she tiptoed out when she felt a hand grasp her wrist. In a sleepy voice, the raven-haired former Emperor spoke, "C2."

"Lelouch, you need to _sleep_. I made a mistake in-"

"So you regret what we did." he interrupted while opening his eyes slowly.

"No, I don't regret it, but-"

"Then how is it a blunder if you don't regret it?"

She had nothing to say in answer to his question and he smiled. Yawning, he stretched and lazily said, "Let's go to the festival tomorrow evening."

"Are you insane? Nunnally will see-"

"Then we'll just have to avoid her, won't we? Please, C2? I've been in bed for the past 4 days, and I want to go outside and walk around, looking at things like the river and the flowers with you."

"Oh, how romantic." she commented sarcastically. In truth, she also wanted to spend time with him _outside_ of the inn, where they could be in the open and not shut away in a room. But the threat of his sister was too big, and she just couldn't take the chance. Not when they were so close to escaping.

"I don't think it's a good ide-"

"And why not? Actually, let's discuss a few things. Going out together isn't a good idea, leaving this village right now isn't a good idea, going to the festival tomorrow night isn't a good idea, but here's the most confounding one; marrying me isn't a good idea!"

"I never said that-"

"You sure as hell meant it though."

"What do you want me to say then?"

"I want you to agree. Why won't you say yes?"

"I…"

"I what?" he said. It wasn't that he was angry at her, but more sad. He had thought she would agree, but when she had avoided giving a definitive answer, he had been hurt.

"…. I do. I do want to marry you, Lelouch."

"Then why do you keep evading my question?"

"There are too many complications if we do. Disguising ourselves will be more difficult if we're a couple-"

"We're newly-weds right now."

"Yes, but we're here temporarily."

"C2."

"What is it?"

"I never said let's go get married tomorrow, I just asked you if you were willing to marry me. I can wait. I have patience for you. It's the only way I've been able to put up with you."

Giving him a dirty look, she pulled free from his grasp and crossed her arms. The ex-prince sat up and hugged her from behind, apologetically saying, "I was just teasing."

"You don't have to go that far though! Especially at a time like this!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, C2."

They didn't move and only sat in silence until the refugee cleared his throat and asked, "Why don't we put some clothes on? It's getting a bit chilly, isn't it, now that the sun is setting."

As he was pulling an undershirt over his pajama pants and the emerald haired immortal changed into her nightgown, he asked in a slightly muffled voice, "Are we going to the feast tomorrow?"

"Lelouch, that really isn-"

"So, there's Suzaku and Nunnally, and all of the diplomats and guards from Britannia, not to mention the European Union…. So what? Haven't we accomplished more impossible feats than going to a party?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And my knee is fine. It'll be completely healed by the time the festival begins."

"What will we tell the townspeople though? You were unconscious for four days because of excessive bleeding and a gunshot. If we tell them that you're fin-"

"Hemophilia. Not a very good cover-up, but better than nothing."

C2 shook her head, amazed at his determination to go to a _party_. No wonder he had managed to create a better world. The man himself gently ushered her to the bed so that she was on the inside. Climbing in besides her, he blew out the lamp. Darkness cloaked them and the tired woman relaxed, sinking into the thick and soft mattress.

"We're going, right?" his voice inquired from the pitch black.

"Ugh…. Alright, alright."

"I'm so glad you agreed to."

"Honestly, you're like a child at times."

"Well, I think it would be safe to say that my childhood was stolen from me."

"And you pull that card out again. Is that your only counter-attack?" C2 asked.

"Nope. I have this too."

Turning his head to the side, he lightly pressed his lips on her forehead. He could tell the witch had been caught off guard, and he tried to conceal his amusement. He said, "Then tomorrow it is."

"You can't do anything to catch any attention."

"I know, C2. Just a dance or two with you, and I'll be perfectly content to come back."

"Dance?"

"It is a festival after all."

"Oh goodness…. We'll have to come up with a strategy so that you don't get caught."

"I know, I know, but not in the morning."

"Why? What are we doing in the morning?"

"I don't know what _you're_ doing, but _I'm_ going to go buy something."

She became suspicious and asked, "What?"

"You don't need to know. It's something only men go buy."

"….. Lelouch…" she said in a warning tone. He laughed and replied with, "It's not what you think it is. I never knew you thought like that, C2."

Flustered, she didn't reply and pretended to fall asleep. Smiling, he hugged her closer and said, "Good night." Still embarrassed, she refused to say anything. Her stubbornness only amused him further, and he grinned.

. . .

"Leroy! How are you standing?! I thought you shattered your knee!"

Lelouch, who had donned his mask once more, ignored the interrogation and showed a fat, cloth pouch to the blonde man. The eccentric man saw it and understood. As they walked out of the tavern, he asked, "What do you want to buy? If it's flowers for Cera, I can help you there again."

The raven haired teenager shook his head, and Cian began a guessing game where he would name merchandise and Lelouch almost fell from shaking his head so often. Once he had steadied himself, he pointed towards his ring finger.

"A ring? For Cera? I thought you were married though….."

Frustrated by how limited his ability to communicate was, he stopped walking and squatted. Grabbing a stick, he wrote in the dirt:

_We married, but I didn't have enough money to buy her a ring. I have the money now though, and I want to give it to her as a surprise._

Smiling not unkindly, the villager commented, "I see you two have become much closer since when you first came. Especially in the bedroom."

Lelouch involuntarily blushed. Seeing his reaction, the horticulturist laughed and said, "I'm just teasing, Leroy. But I'm glad. It's always nice to see two people in love. Now…. That ring….."

. . .

"Are you _sure_ you can afford that?"

The Britannian nodded, and set down the sack of money. Falling to its side, it spilled gold coins. The jeweler and the gardener looked at the foreigner in astonishment. Shrugging, he snapped the small velvet box close and pocketed it. Waving once in goodbye, he walked out of the shop. Max, the town's jeweler, asked, "And you said he was a farmer?"

"Um…. We never really asked him what he does for a living, but apparently, it pays incredibly well. Could you not tell anyone about this?"

"Why? Look at all this gold! He could've bought everything in here and then some!"

"Just… Don't. Not until they leave, at least. Could you do that for me?"

"…. I'll hold my tongue, but only because of Alice."

At the mention of the name Alice, the blonde's expression suddenly turned to grief, but only for a split second. Patting the old man's hand, he thanked him and hurried out after the stranger.

Lelouch was randomly in the middle of the road leading back to the inn. He was looking at the ring he had just purchased. Smiling to himself, he thought, 'Well C2, I'll do as you ask. I'll propose… The traditional way. Ha, once even you see the ring, you won't be able to say anything.'

Suddenly, he heard a loud voice say, "MAKE WAY FOR THE EMPRESS! CLEAR THE ROAD!"

The people parted respectfully, and watched as a long train of guards made their way down the streets. From all of the jostling behind him, the former Emperor lost his grip on the small, velvet box and helplessly watched as it rolled away from him. Breaking free from the by-standers, he nearly ran into a military man on a horse in trying to grab the gift. The procession stopped abruptly, and a familiar voice asked, "Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Lelouch stayed in his crouching position, not lifting his head or standing up to look the questioner in the eye because he knew if he did, all would be lost. The tiny case was picked up and the owner of the delicate hand giggled. She asked, "Is this for your girlfriend?"

Only one thought was turning over and over in the exiled ruler's head, and that was the fact that his younger sister, Nunnally, was standing right in front of him.

**Ender: Okay, do I really have to point it out to you? Nunnally + Lelouch... Gee, I really wonder how he's going to get out of this one without giving his younger sister a heart attack by seeing her supposedly dead (and beloved) older brother.**

**A/N: Okay, wow, that was... Kinda sexual in the middle. Okay... Gotta let that go... I mean, it ****_is_**** rated as T. Anyways... I'm really sorry for any errors grammatically, or anything like that... :) I hope you liked it. Reviews are most welcomed.**


	8. The Busy Road

**A/N: I hope you guys find this enjoyable. Please excuse any... Crap writing.**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 8

C2 opened her eyes drowsily and noticed the missing warmth that was usually besides her whenever she woke up. Turning over, she saw that Lelouch's customary spot between her and the edge of the bed was empty. He wasn't in the bathroom, as she couldn't find his shoes. Slightly disappointed that he had gone off on private business without telling her, more specifically _sneaking_ away. Sighing, she couldn't believe that he still didn't trust her, even after everything they had gone through together.

Slipping out from underneath the blanket, she walked towards the windows on the cold wooden floor. Peering out, she saw something strange in the distance. Narrowing her eyes in an attempt to make out what it was, she finally understood. Scrambling around in the room, she didn't bother to change out of her nightgown and struggled to put her boots on in a rush. The emerald-haired woman exited the room, unintentionally banging the door close and sprinted down the short hall, descended the stairs, and sprinted out of the inn in such a fashion that Brandon, who had been wiping glasses at the bar, said to Niamh, "I wonder what's making her be in such a hurry."

"It's probably in search of Leroy so that they can do more indecent thi-"

"Niamh, it wasn't indecent. What would you expect from a newly-wedded couple?"

"They could've been more discreet about it though!" she yelled while throwing peas at the bespectacled man.

Pausing for a second, C2 looked left and right at the road. She saw the procession coming closer, and with it, was the flag of the Holy Empire of Britannia. It could only mean one thing. She ran in the opposite direction as the waving banner of the country that Lelouch had disowned. At the main center of the town, there were crowds of people even though the sun had only risen about an hour ago. Straining to see over the heads of people, the immortal desperately searched for the Britannian so that he could hide.

"Cera! Are you looking for Leroy?"

Her attention immediately snapped towards Cian. He was closing the door of a shop behind himself, and she went to him, asking, "Have you seen Lel-Leroy? I need to talk to him right now."

"Oh well….. He went ahead of me, I'm not completely sure- Oh! There he is!"

The florist pointed in the direction behind the witch, and she whirled around. True to his words, she saw the masked man. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat thankfully, but it still wouldn't be enough to hide him if his younger sister saw him. She began to push her way through people to get to the boy who was in his own world, as he was completely oblivious to villagers milling around him. She was swept away from him however, as farmers and shopkeepers and bakers and men and women of all trades surged together as one to the edges of the streets as she heard, "MAKE WAY FOR THE EMPRESS! CLEAR THE ROAD!"

C2 could only watch in horror as she saw something slip from the refugee's hand and roll away into the path of the guards and the royal carriage of the Empress of Britannia. He broke away from the crowd and upset a horse who had a guard seated upon it. Chaos erupted, and she saw Lelouch crouch and reach for the small box. It was silent in the town as all eyes were on the procession which had stopped completely. The door to the coach bearing the coat of arms of the royal Britannian family opened

The procession stopped abruptly, and a familiar voice asked, "Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?"

The emerald-haired woman cursed; at this point, nothing could get worse. He was trapped in front of the very last person who should've known that the infamous emperor was still alive. The 18 year old must've also realized this, and didn't move or say anything in reply. The witch could only stand by as the girl with light brown hair stooped down and picked up the velvet box while giggling.

"Is this for your girlfriend?"

C2 held her breath, wondering what Lelouch's next course of action would be. She could tell he was frantically trying to come up with a plan to escape from the monarch respectfully, but also without allowing her to see his face. After some time had passed, the empress tilted her head and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Uh, your Highness!"

All of the villagers, guards, and Nunnally turned their attention towards the brave speaker.

Cian pulled himself out of the crowd and continued, "Your Highness, uh, I will apologize on behalf of my friend."

"Oh, I wasn't looking for an apology. Is he sick though?"

"Yes he is. He was born voiceless, and as a result, he can't speak."

"I see. I'm sorry for asking you a question. I didn't know. Here you go."

She held out the gift, and her elder brother took it, taking care not to create any contact between them so that his memories wouldn't be transferred to her accidentally. The florist said, "Let's go, Leroy." and put a hand on his shoulder. Lelouch stood up cautiously and bowed quickly. Turning around before the girl in the wheelchair could register his face, he strode with purpose back to the safety of many and was promptly swallowed by the spectators.

"Well… That was a little strange." she commented good-naturedly.

"Are you alright, your Highness?" asked a nearby guard.

"Yes, I'm okay. Shall we continue?"

"Yes, your sovereign."

Nunnally boarded the carriage again, and the parade started again, amidst the cheering and excitement in welcome of the ruler of Britannia. Three people however, weren't paying attention. The masked teenager was leaning against a building, exhausted from the tension and the unexpected fright from seeing his younger sister, while Cian was a little confused at Leroy's strange behavior. C2 bulldozed her way to her lover's side. Reaching for his arm, she asked softly, "Are you feeling well?"

He nodded in reply while straightening up. The emerald haired woman linked arms with him and they faced the gardener. She told him, "Thank you for helping him."

"No problem but…. That was a little weird. Why wouldn't you look at her, Leroy?"

"He… He doesn't like people looking at him very much, because they always question why he's covering part of his face and…. it brings back painful memories."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I never knew…."

"But he's fine now. Right?"

He motioned that he agreed and the woman in the nightgown asked, "Could we go back to the room together? I'm a bit underdressed right now."

Lelouch began to walk in the direction of the boarding house, when he felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned around and saw it was the blonde, who was grinning at him. Slapping him lightly on his shoulder blade, the villager said, "Good luck, Leroy. Don't be nervous! And if you need help, I'm always there for you."

Embarrassed, the Britannian led the C2 away, whose curiosity had been piqued. When they were on a much quieter road, she asked, "Good luck for what? Why would you be nervous? Actually, what in the world would make someone like _you_ nervous? Not even when you were activating the FLEIJA Eliminator were you anxious. What is it?"

He chose to continue his farce as a mute and didn't reply. Back in the privacy of their room, he slid off his mask and threw off the hat he was forced to wear.

"Are you going to answer my questions now?" she asked. His partner was tying her hair up, preparing herself to wash her face. His reply was no. Her reflection in the mirror glared at him and snapped, "Why not?"

"This is how I felt when we first met and you wouldn't answer _my_ questions."

"You're really bringing out something that happened 2 years ago?"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"Oh, you intolerable man."

"That won't help you in getting your queries answered."

She went to the bathroom in a huff and Lelouch smiled after her. When the door had been closed behind her, or more like slammed shut, he stretched out onto the bed and pulled out the ring box from the depths of his pocket. Taking it out carefully, he watched it glint in the sunlight. It had a silver band that had three gems; two smaller white diamonds flanking a larger stone. When he was at the jeweler's, he had been surprised to a ring of this caliber; blue diamonds were extremely rare and expensive, and here was one just sitting in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

His violet eyes became a little troubled though, as he tried to come up with the best time to propose. Would it be tonight? Tomorrow night? In a week? A month? A decade? They both had the time to be able to be married whenever they wanted to, but the problem was his _patience_. He wanted to see her smile when she saw the ring. He desired to have the insufferable with he had grown to love hug him in delighted surprise. And then he laughed; C2's plan was working; here was another wish he had for himself.

Snapping it shut, he chose to put it back in his pocket and not hide it somewhere else. The first reason was that the witch had probably seen it already, and was curious to know what it was. He knew that if she wanted to know about something, she would get it, so the best hiding place would be on his person. The second reason, he thought, was that if they went out, the perfect window of opportunity could come along. He didn't want to be unprepared. And so he chose his pocket. Just as he slid it inside, C2 burst out of the bathroom. A toothbrush was still stuck in her mouth, and toothpaste foam flew out of her mouth while she said, "You can't go out today. Or tomorrow for the matter."

"Yes I can."

At his response, she took the toothbrush out of her mouth and brandished it while telling him, "Have you forgotten what just happened this morning? We barely got out of the mess if it weren't for Cian! I'm not risking it again. We can't go to the festival."

"That's really too bad…."

"And why is that?" the green haired woman asked sarcastically while going back into the bathroom.

It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but he answered it anyways, "Because I heard there was going to be pizza there."

He saw her pause and the door didn't close all of the way. Going to her, he spoke to her in a persuasive voice, "Think, C2. How long has it been since you've eaten pizza? That thing that you have an unreasonable penchant for? Pi~zza…."

"We still… We still can't go." she was hesitating, wavering from her stand.

"We'll be stuck in our room, while the aroma of cheese and tomato sauce and bread all melting together to create the Italian dish, just _waiting_ for someone to eat it all and-"

"Ah! Okay, okay, fine. We'll go."

"Thank you so much." smiling, Lelouch kissed her lightly on the cheek while she swatted him away in half-annoyance. Kicking him out of the small room, she closed the door. The teenager could only smile at the irony; for once, her love for pizza would be helpful to him, and not just chew on his finances. Sitting down, he began to lace up his boots when there was a knock on the door. He nearly opened it without putting his mask on, when he realized. Tugging it up to cover the lower half of his face until it nearly up to the bridge of his nose. Now that he was ready, he swung the door open and saw who it was.

"Hi Leroy!"

He raised his hand in greeting, and the blonde continued, "Niamh told me to tell you that she wants to take Cera out."

Lelouch only stared, a little irritated once again by his "disability" to speak.

"Oh! Maybe that isn't such the best idea….. Is Cera here? Or did she leave?"

The raven-haired man waved in the direction of the bathroom, in which the florist asked, "Could I come in then?"

He didn't wait for an answer and gently pushed the Britannian out of the way. Sitting down on a nearby chair, the friendly villager asked, "Are you all right now? What is it that you had? Hemo… Hemo what? Well, whatever it is, I hope you're okay now. After all, there's the festival! And speaking of the festival… Niamh wants to see your wife."

With perfect timing, the golden-eyed woman came out of the bathroom while saying, "Lel…. Cian?"

"Hi Cera!"

"What are you doing in here?"

She looked towards the masked man, who could only shrug his shoulders. It seemed that even if he had managed to successfully overthrow the largest empire of the world, he couldn't stop a mere gardener from coming into a room. The blonde said, "Niamh wants to see you."

"What does that…. Person want with me? I thought she disapproved of us, from the way she looks at us."

"She's really a sweet old lady. She's just…. Maybe seems like a cactus on the outside?"

"A cactus?"

"Sorry. It's the only analogy I could come up with on the spot. But anyways, I'm not sure why she wants to see you. I'm sure it'll be quick though."

"Alright…. Leroy, you'll be alright by yourself?"

He only rolled his eyes at her question, and she asked while walking to the large, canvas bag on the dresser, "Could you tell her I'll be downstairs in ten minutes? I need to change."

"Sure. Leroy, you come down too. I need to talk to you."

Once the couple was alone again, and the door safely closed, Lelouch took his mask off and inquired, "Why do you think the old lady wants to see you?"

"How should I know? All I do know is that she's a crotchety woman, with her nose always sticking in someone's business."

"That's rude."

"Like she hasn't been to us. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am."

"No you're not."

Sighing, she stood up and fixed his tie. Once the bow had been redone, she muttered, "You still can't do it by yourself. You were never able to do the ties and scarves properly-"

Lelouch bent down and kissed her.

"What was that for?"

"Well, morning kisses are good for people. They make you healthier in a way."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. You know, we should kiss more oft-"

C2 left the room, but not before he saw her blushing. Grinning, he followed her out while putting his balaclava back on. Downstairs, Niamh was impatiently waiting while Cian was trying to calm her down. When she spotted the emerald haired woman, she shoved the florist aside and said, "Took you long enough. Why are you blushing? Don't tell me you were doing something inde-"

"What we do isn't really your business."

"It _is_ my business if you're moa-"

"OKAAAAAAAY. WHY HAVE YOU ASKED TO SEE CERA, NIMAH?!" interrupted the gardener. Lelouch was thankful, seeing how the conversation was going into an awkward direction.

"…. Follow me, girl." ordered the old woman. The hunched over figure began to walk in the direction of the exit, and the immortal looked over at her "husband" and began to say, "Why should I have to-" when he gently shoved her. Stumbling, she trailed after the villager, but not before looking back with an angry expression. When they were gone, Cian commented, "…. If you're like that, giving the ring to her won't be pretty. But let's talk about better things. I want to take you out. Where, you might ask? Let's go get some clothes for you, Leroy, and make Cera pleasantly surprised. In truth, I think Niamh kidnapped your wife to take her out shopping too."

. . .

"Where are we going?"

The white-haired crone only scrutinized her from a distance and thought, 'So a light blue dress…. With no decoration….. What a plain sense of fashion. Niamh, it seems like we have our work cut out for us.'

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shaking her head, the pessimistic grandma only motioned to keep following. C2 sighed in exasperation; the only other person that made her this irritated was Lelouch at times, and Kallen. Nonetheless, she walked in the path of Niamh.

. . .

"I'll pay for it. My treat."

**No.**

"Why not, Leroy? I just want to help you and Cera out. I don't know why, but I feel inclined to. Please?"

**No.**

"Please?! I'll go tell Cera about the ring then. Bye, Leroy!"

He began to run, and Lelouch only barely caught him on the sleeve. Heaving a sigh, the former Emperor began to lead the way back to the town. Even though there was the danger of being spotted by Nunnally, nothing could quell the florist.

. . .

"Now you look nice."

"Haven't I always?"

No answer.

"You must be kidding."

"Well, you haven't looked your best. But now you are. You should be grateful, girl. Everyone in this village is vying for my help, and here I am, assisting _you_, a complete stranger I met a week ago."

"Met? I wouldn't call it meeting-"

"Oh be quiet. I need to count out my coins. Rebecca, how much for the dress?"

"Half-price, if you help my son, Luke."

"Luke? I can't help _him_, you know that. He's always off in the field, prancing around with those horses of his, and-"

"Oh, please, Niamh? You know-"

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine. I'll try, But don't set my house on fire if I can't do anything about it."

"Thank you!"

"Mmmhmmm. She'll just walk out wearing the dress. Look at the time. How it flies…."

As they left the dressmaker's, C2 asked, "What exactly do you do?"

"Me? I'm the matchmaker."

"The match… _You_?! The one who's always expressing her adamant disapproval of me and Leroy. _You_?!"

"Yes, me. Speaking of your husband, he looks very nice. If it weren't for that mask of his, I'd say he were handsome. Look."

She turned around, making the purple skirt of her garment float. Across the busy road full of bustling carts and people, she could see him in the setting sun's light. He was wearing clothes she had never seen before, but the thing that she had her eyes on was the small box in his palm. He carefully crossed the street, and soon enough, he was standing right in front of her.

"You're wearing new clothes."

He bent down closer so that he was near her ear and whispered so that only she could hear, "So are you. But I have something that would make you look prettier."

She only stared at him as he bent down on one knee and wordlessly opened the box, revealing the ring inside. Her mouth dropped open as his eyes sent the message of, "C2, will you marry me?"

**A/N: Can I just say that when I was writing the last scene, I had to stop for a second. Cause I started laughing. Sorry. It's the fangirlism kicking in. Comments on the latest development are very much welcomed. I hope you liked it!**


	9. Luke

**A/N: Sorry guys. I had a bunch of stuff to do, like the school dance, and lots of tests, and field day, and this fundraiser I had to do the entire day, and on top of that, I caught a bad cold. So, this chapter came out a lot worse than it should've. I'm sorry for that :( But I hope you like it at least a little, despite the cruddiness of how it was written.**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 9

"Peter!"

Cian swung the entrance to the local tailor while calling out the man's name. Lelouch carefully followed behind, and the door swung shut him quickly. Inside, it was brightly light and surprisingly airy. From somewhere inside the depths of the shop, a clattering and rustling sound was heard, and soon enough, they heard a reply.

"Yeah?!"

A mop of dark red hair appeared from a nearby pile of swathes of fabric. Two bright grey eyes peeked out from behind the fringe of messy hair as the person rose from the cloths. He had a short stature, much smaller than Lelouch's 6'1" height, or even the 5'11" of Cian. All the same, he had an impressive aura around him that made up for his literal shortcoming.

"I'm sure you've heard of the two strangers who came into town?" asked the florist. The raven-haired man stood aloof in the back, unsure as to what to do with himself. The man with piercing eyes answered with, "Of course. Who hasn't heard about the beauty of the green-haired girl and her husband, the mysterious masked man? Is that him, by the way?"

"It is. And he has a special gift for his lady."

"Oh? What could that be?"

Smiling, Cian motioned for him to come closer, which he did. Both bent over the counter, and the blonde whispered, "He bought a ring. And not just any ring. You know that blue diamond one-"

"Oh my Lord. He has that much money?"

"Apparently so, and even more."

"What? How do you know?"

"Not telling."

"Oh, come on Cian, you can't do that-"

"Nope. My lips are sealed. Sealed. No changing it, Peter."

The tailor sighed in exasperation, and the florist said cheerfully, back in his normal voice, "Anyways, back to the purpose of this visit. Leroy needs some clothes."

"What type of clothes?"

"Formal…ish…. Semi-formal, kind of, but…. But still a little formal…"

"Cian, you're dancing around it again." his friend warned.

"Okay, okay. As I said before, it's for giving his wife something special, but he's also going to the festival later tonight so…."

"Ooooooh, I see where you're going with this. Leroy, that's your name, right?"

The Britannian nodded, and the villager clapped his hands together for some reason.

"Alright then, Leroy, let's see what we have in store for you. Literally."

. . .

Lelouch put his hand up in defeat. He was exhausted. The only thing that was keeping him going was the fact that he actually _did_ want to look nice for C2.

Not in the robes of the demonic Emperor.

Not in the suit of Zero, the masked vigilante.

Not in the uniform of an innocent, meaningless schoolboy.

In decent clothes that fitted _him_, Lelouch vi Britannia, and not his titles or façades. He desired to be himself, and nothing else. And the want was giving him the courage to struggle through what seemed hours of trying on various clothes and suits. It was difficult for him though. He was never one for vanity, unlike some of his half-brothers and half-sisters; he did want to look nice, of course, but never put an incredibly amount of thought into it because… Well… He had other things on his mind requiring his focus, like the maneuvering of the Black Knights through various tricky situations.

"Leroy?"

He glanced up. The former Emperor had taken out the ring and was turning it over in his hand while being deep in thought. Cian and Peter were both staring at him curiously. The fair-haired man asked, "Are you okay?"

He motioned in response that he was, when the shortest person in the room looked past the bent over form of Lelouch and exclaimed, "Hey, there's your wife!"

'C2!'

Getting up, he was about to leave to see his love, when an arm snaked around his throat, pulling him back. The gardener said, "Oh no you don't. I want this as a surprise. You're not going anywhere near her until later tonight. Peter, grab his legs!"

. . .

"Hmmm…." murmured the man with dark red locks.

"Wow." added his taller friend.

"Wow indeed. Looking sharp there, Leroy."

The man on the pedestal only rolled his eyes, but he secretly agreed. Smoothing the navy blue satin waistcoat, his wine purple necktie peeked out from underneath. Checking that the cuffs of his pale blue dress shirt were buttoned, he gave his navy blue dress pants a once-over. Satisfied, he shook out his hair.

"I don't think you'll need a jacket, since it's still a bit warm." commented the tailor. Stepping down from the stand, he nodded in reply. Cian flashed a peek out of the window and whistled.

"The sun's already setting. Leroy, why don't you go look for Cera? I'll pay for the suit. And don't argue. Well… Not that you can, but you know what I mean. I want to. Now go! Cera's probably looking for you!"

The well-dressed man was promptly pushed out of the boutique. Recollecting his composure, he straightened up and dusted himself off. All around him, people were walking arm-in-arm or were riding in the back of carts excitedly chatting and heading in the direction of the town's main square. He was about to follow them, when a flash of a familiar green caught the corner of his eye. Staring, his hunch was rewarded quickly.

Across the bustling road was C2 in a purple dress. The skirt nearly went down to her ankle, and was made of a material that dully reflected the sun's slowly dying rays. It had a gold edging, and the bodice was a lighter shade of violet, but the garment wasn't the thing that was making him mesmerized. Somewhere inside of him, a voice suggested for him to take out the small box in his pocket.

Reaching inside, he brought it out to show her. He began on the short journey, weaving in and out of busy pedestrians until he was reunited with the surprised immortal again. He heard her say, "You're wearing new clothes."

Smiling, he bent down so that only she could listen to his quiet reply, "So are you. But I have something that would make you look prettier."

Niamh had a suspicion that something private was about to happen, and silently left the couple, all the while muttering that the ungrateful girl had never said a thank you. Despite her complaints, when the old woman looked back, a contemplative smile appeared and she asked herself, "Well, even you're entitled to some happiness, aren't you?"

C2 could only gape. There was no denying that he was proposing to her, this time in a more traditional way. For once, a million thoughts raced through her usually calculating mind and her heart began to race. She realized though, that Lelouch was probably feeling more nervous that she was, which caused for her to burst out laughing. Giggling, she yelled, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" and hugged him. The box nearly went flying out of his hand, but he returned the embrace all the same. Standing up, the raven-haired man lifted up his new fiancé and spun her around in joy. When they were still again, the witch said, "Although I was joking when I said that I would seriously consider your offer when you traditionally proposed."

He shrugged and she broke away from him. Wrapping her hand around his, she began to lead him to the destination of the rest of the villagers, telling him, "We should go celebrate, shouldn't we? I mean, there's the festival, and we're wearing new clothes, and everyone seems so excited- Whoa!"

Hearing the rare happiness in her voice, Lelouch sped up his pace until he had begun running. Jumping into the river of people flowing into the square, they were swallowed. The middle of the plaza was relatively empty, with a border of villagers around it. On one side was a stage, which was where Nunnally was seated with the government officials of the European Union and the town's leaders. She was smiling benevolently while Brandon was speaking to her, seemingly explaining things.

Some time had passed, in which Lelouch hugged C2 from behind, patiently waiting for the festival to begin. Suddenly, the usually anxious innkeeper stood up and took center stage. He waited until everyone quieted down and then spoke in a commanding voice, "Welcome, boys and girls, men and women of all ages to the Harvest Festival! Tonight, we have been graced by the presence of the monarch of the Holy Empire of Britannia, Empress Nunnally vi Britannia! May I have a rousing round of applause for the beautiful queen?"

The clapping was thunderous, along with the cheers and whistling. Every single person was grateful for the new queen; the last ruler of the large empire had been ruthless and murderous, an absolutely _horrible_ man. When the cheering died down, the bespectacled leader continued, "I'm sure you're all excited and eager to start celebrating, so without further ado…."

He backed away, and two men jumped onto the platform. Just as the sky became dark, sparks appeared, and the two torches each one had lit up. They began to dance to the beats of a drum, swirling the glowing flambeaus around, amazing the audience. When their performance was nearly over, Brandon announced from behind, "LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!" as the two dancers blew onto their torches, causing for a plume of flames to erupt, reaching into the night sky. Shouts of joy exploded as the crowd began to fracture apart, each going to do what they wished to.

C2 turned around and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Cera! Leroy!"

Alex had found them. Pushing past people easily with his large bulk, he commented, "I see you've managed to become well enough to come."

"Thankfully."

"What will you two do first?"

"We're not exactly sure…."

"The main event here is dancing. Dancing, eating, drinking, singing, watching the performers. There are some games and contests, but no one plays those until they're completely and utterly drunk. And for good reason too. I suggest you- Hey! Luke, she's- LUKE!"

A boy about Lelouch's age had swept the witch away from the masked man's grasp, just as he had been running by. Spinning her around, the person with mud-colored hair laughed and told her, "You'll be my lady of the evening. Your name is Cera, isn't it? Such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Do you like dancing? Well, can't help much about it. You don't have a choice!"

"Leroy, what are you going to do?"

He turned to look at the pot-bellied man. The horse trainer scolded him, "I saw the ring, young man. And have you forgotten who she is? She's your wife! Go get her from Luke! What are you doing, just standing here?! Go!"

Lelouch was pushed into the frenzied group that was busy dancing. Someone took his hand and was swept away. He looked down to see it was a blonde girl. She smiled up at him and said, "Oh, so you're the outsider! The rumours were right, you are pretty good looking. Although it's too bad about your mask."

He promptly tuned out the innocent girl's ramblings and looked around. The Britannian spotted the emerald hair of his "wife". At the same time, she also saw him. Both broke away from their partners and immediately rushed to each other in the center of the lively dancing circle. She was about to say something to him, when she was stolen away by the same boy again. This time, Luke kept a strong grip on C2.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

"Husband."

"_Husband_? You're lying. You look younger than I am!  
"Trust me, it's not possible that you're older than me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to my spouse."

"Oh no you don't."

She tried to pull her arms away, but the brunette was too strong. Leading her out of the group, he put his arm around her shoulders and began to walk off. The immortal attempted to slip away, but before she could escape, there was a sound of impact being made. Looking back, she stared in amazement.

"You're all kinds of surprising today."

Lelouch had broken free from his forced dance and came upon the scene of his fiancé being hugged by someone else. Anger stirred inside of him, and without thinking, he tapped the shoulder of the stupid man and gave him a hard right hook with astounding strength for the raven-haired man who was physically weak.

"Lel- Leroy!"

Luke had picked himself up and fought back. His pride, and not to mention his face, had been hurt, and there'd be hell to pay. Forcefully wrenching the foreigner around, the tanned villager punched him. Stunned, he fell onto the ground, and the furious brunette jumped on him.

"Stop! Stop, stop stop! What in the world are you two doing?!"

Niamh had pushed her way through the growing crowd of cheering spectators. Alex and Brandon roughly grabbed the collars of both men, effectively separating them. Lelouch had bruises and a cut across his left cheek which stung, but amazingly, Luke appeared to be worse. He also had bruises and cuts, but he was sporting a fine specimen of a black eye while he was shifting most of his weight onto one leg.

"Neither of you are drunk or know each other, so why are you fighting like children?!"

"He started it! He attacked me first! What was I supposed to do, let him get away with it?!"

"Luke! He is this town's guest! And speaking of guests, we have government officials and the _Empress_ here, you fool!"

Even the riled up townsman said nothing in reply to Brandon's rare scolding. Alex patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's alright. Just take this as an opportunity to provide entertainment to Her Highness."

"What do you mean as entertain-"

"We need an exciting opening act for the horse race."

"And?"

"Leroy and Luke can settle their argument by being the opening act! Whoever wins can… Well, they can figure that out between themselves."

"Alex, Leroy was already in a horse race, and last time ended in disaster. Do the bruises that you have not remind you?"

"Oh lighten up, Brandon. What do you think, boy?"

"I'm all for it. I'm second best horseman in this village. I don't see why not." replied the boy. He winced from his throbbing eye, but it didn't let his confidence or determination to beat the raven-haired man. C2, who had been watching in horror at the two scramble around on the ground, went to her fiancé and said, "No, don't. Really, this time you can't."

She saw in his eyes the vehement rage and knew there was no use in trying to persuade him against the competition.

. . .

"Good luck, Leroy. You'll need it." spat Luke while walking away. Lelouch looked after him with hatred and with contempt. If only the poor boy knew who he really was.

Alex came and interrupted his thoughts. Taking him by the arm, he led him away from the stables and said, "I need to talk to you about Luke."

"Leroy! What are you doing? The race is about to start!"

"Peter, just give us a minu-"

"A minute is too long. Come on."

"No, it's about Lu-" began Alex.

"He'll be fine. Even if he's angry, I'm sure he'd never do anything like what he did in… In the past. Follow me, Leroy."

They went into a tent, where he was told to undress. He was handed a pair of white pants, black boots, and dress shirt, along with a jacket. Standing up on a chair, Peter plopped a helmet onto Lelouch's head, telling him, "Alrighty then. The reason why you have to change is because the horse race is a very important event for us here. Empress Nunnally will be watching apparently. She doesn't know the back story about why you two are competing, but that doesn't mean she won't be paying attention closely."

Before the Britannian could recollect his thoughts, he was rushed outside. The tailor apologetically said, "You'll have to ride Morrigan again. I'm sorry. But there was no other horse."

Carefully mounting the steed again, he was about to start off for the starting line when he heard, "Oh wait! One more thing!"

He turned around and the red-head told him, "No pressure, but Luke wasn't bluffing when he said that he was the second-best rider in the village. Don't take him lightly! He's a dirty player, and he has an eye on your wife. If you lose, no one knows what could happen. Good luck!"

'Oh God.' was his one thought. As he stood behind the doors, waiting for the race to begin, he searched the crowds for a specific person. Finding her, he was about to raise his hand to wave to her in reassurance, when Luke, who had come up besides him, said, "So, Leroy. Here's how it works. If you win and I lose, I leave you and your wife alone. If I win and you lose, she's mine. And your marriage? Annulled. I seriously doubt you two were telling the truth when you two called yourself a married couple. No one gets married at such a young age."

'You'd be surprised.' he thought, thinking back about Empress Tianzi.

"You'd better pray, or I'll have Cera in my pocket before you can even blink."

Anger boiled up again, and the masked man nearly spoke out of fury. Just then, the bell rang and the stalls' doors shot open.

The race had begun.

**A/N: Probably one of the worst chapters ever :P Please comment on the latest developments.**


	10. Sorrowful Nunnally

**A/N: ACK! Sorry everyone. There was finals week, and then I had to get ready for my trip to Korea, and now I'm here in Korea, and my grandma doesn't have internet connection, and it's just been all sorts of crazy. I'd like to offer you my sincerest apologies for not updating for like what, three weeks? I'm so so so so so so so so so sorry! And if you still support my story, along with my apology, I'd like to give you my deepest thanks for putting up with my not being able to upload a new chapter for almost a month. So… without further ado, the next part to ****A Thousand Cranes****! I hope you enjoy and it was worth your wait.**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 10

"How will we be able to see the race? It's incredibly dark."

"There will be lights, your Highness. The Knights came yesterday, and made sure everything would be visible for you to enjoy, along with the security of the festival." answered Schneizel.

"I see. The opening ceremony is important, did you say?" asked the Queen of Britannia.

"Yes, your Highness. Apparently, two of the best riders were chosen to have a race through an obstacle course on horseback."

"That'll be interesting. I hope they're not hurt in the process though." Nunnally voiced her concerns.

She sat in the balcony above the rest of the spectators. With a nice vantage point, she could see everything going on. Not that she could see anything at the moment. It was incredibly dark in the countryside, reminding her of the years when she had been blind. She thought, 'It's so different from nighttime in the city.'

"Your Highness, are you prepared?"

"Yes, Brandon."

"Very good, your Highness. If you'll excuse me, I must go and commence the horse racing."

"Please go ahead."

"Thank you, your Highness." the wiry, bespectacled man said.

The kind villager left her with the politicians, advisors, and guards. Nunnally was patiently waiting, when an incredibly strong light came on. Shining into the sky, it cut through the black night, a beacon of visibility. As abruptly as the sudden burst of light, she heard a voice say, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome to the Annual Southern Ireland Derby!"

The audience exploded into cheering; their excitement was contagious. The young ruler smiled in her wheelchair and realized that she was also eager to see the competition unfold.

"Now, before we begin, we have with us Leroy and Luke. Both are very hot-blooded young men, with a passion for winning. They will be racing against each other on _this_ race course!"

As the village leader motioned, lights lit up consecutively around the track. The course was normal save for two characteristics; there were metal arches over it at small intervals, which was where the lights of the racetrack were located. The other unusual things were the obstacles. There were impossibly tall hedges meant for jumping over, a wide river that looked as if it would sweep away anything that touched it, and several other obstacles. At the start of the track, the Empress could see the two competitors; one was proudly sitting on his dark chocolate horse with a haughty expression, while the latter was…. She couldn't see his face very well, as it was masked and he was wearing a riding helmet, but she had a feeling that he wasn't so egotistical of himself as the other. Or perhaps, he just wasn't showing it.

"Who's Luke and who's Leroy?" she asked. Brandon bent down and answered, "The one with the dark brown horse is Luke, your Highness, and the person on the black one is Leroy."

"I see. Are they friends?"

"…. No, your Highness."

"Oh. Well, maybe they can become friends through this."

"Maybe so, your Highness." he replied politely.

She saw Leroy raise his hand, facing the crowd, and she wondered if there was someone he wanted to win for, just as her older brother had done so many inhumane things for her. Thinking about the past made tears well in her eyes, and Nunnally sniffed and told herself in a stern voice, "You're here to patronize the Annual Derby. It wouldn't do if I started crying. Stop it, Nunnally."

Just then, the bell went off while the gate's doors shot open.

Lelouch dug his knees into the flanks of Morrigan. Instead of going straight ahead, he turned to his left slightly, effectively blocking Luke's advancement. He heard cursing behind him, and the announcer yelled excitedly into the microphone, "It looks as if Leroy is using the no-rules part of the opening ceremony well, as he just blocked Luke's path!"

The raven-haired man saw out of the corner of his eye the brown horse; it was edging past him just as they arrived at the first of the hurdles. He pulled up on the reins and shifted his weight back, ordering the steed to listen to his commands for once. They successfully made it past the first of ten.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, and he looked up into the sky, past the overhead arches. It was a mistake. Water was pouring from the metal structures, so that it was raining on the racetrack, but not anywhere else. It wasn't a light sprinkle either, but a downright summer monsoon. The ground became muddy alarmingly fast, causing for the spirited horse to slip a little, losing its footing. He urged her on, however, as he saw Luke get over his initial shock of the surprise weather.

. . .

"Cera, could you let go of my hand please? It hurts. I think you're trying to break my hand or something."

"I'm sorry." she muttered while releasing Cian from her grasp. When the "rain" had started, she suddenly became afraid that Lelouch would lose. If he knew, he would probably give her a lecture on his ability and determination, but he didn't know. All he knew was that it was pouring on an obstacle course, and he would have to beat one of the best jockeys in the village, when the last time he rode a horse, he fell off. Everyone around her was cheering excitedly, but C2 couldn't bring herself to. What if he _lost_?

. . .

Lelouch was facing a problem; the hurdles. They went around the first bend of the track, which usually required for a racer to go to the inside to gain the upper-hand. However, the hedges had been trimmed so that they were u-shaped. The outsides of the hurdles were taller than in the middle. Of course you wanted to jump over the lowest part, but you also wanted to run on the inside of the course. If he overestimated Morrigan's ability, they could both end up on the mud, effectively losing C2.

"What's wrong, Leroy? _Scared_? Have you had enough? Resigned to your fate now, have you?" sang Luke. They were neck-to-neck, but a tie was never enough for Lelouch, whether it was in battle against Britannia, or a chess game against his elder half-brother Schneizel when he was younger. He urged the black horse to gallop faster. She happily obliged.

. . .

"My goodness, I've never seen two faster horses." commented Nunnally. She was thoroughly enjoying the race, but there was something bothering her. The rider Leroy…. He was so much like her brother that she had loved so much. His posture on the horse, his physical stature…. She wondered what his face looked like.

. . .

The two broke free of the hedges luckily, with Lelouch barely in the lead. Right in front of them were two bridges that arched ridiculously. It would be impossible to go over them with the surface so slippery like this. The rain was drenching everything; Lelouch was struggling to breathe through the wet balaclava, but it didn't make his anger at Luke and the need to win waver.

The sound of eight hooves clattering over wood created a huge racket. The masked man could feel Morrigan slipping in her ascent to the top of the bridge, and he gritted his teeth in frustration; his opponent had already made it. He backed up and ran towards the structure, and was about to leap onto it in another attempt to climb, when he heard shrill screaming.

It was the brown horse.

The bridge had suddenly given away from underneath Luke and his mount, bringing the equine down onto its knees and almost making him to fall off. As abruptly as it had gone down, the part of the bridge went up incredibly fast, sending both the rider and the ridee into the air.

Smirking as the black mare landed heavily on his bridge, Lelouch made her gallop past an injured horse and a furious village without a glance back. He thought back of when they had told him to change his clothes. He had overheard through the tent about the mechanisms of the bridges in the obstacle course, and knew that there was no way that he would win if he didn't have a "handicap". Sneaking out, he went to the control room of the course, which was luckily void of people. Going to the large computer system, he reprogrammed the bridges to act in a… Different manner than it was supposed to.

Laughing silently, he guided his steed to the next part of the track. There were two paths, each lined with small black cones. Lelouch paid no mind to them, and only raced through it when two monstrous flames burst upwards on each side of him. Morrigan skittered backwards in fright.

'No, no, _no_, go _forwards_, it's just fire!' he thought angrily. Before the cones could erupt again, he moved forward, but just as they were about to be free, flames were born again, and she hurried backwards nervously. Sighing in exasperation, he tore off his jacket, the buttons popping apart, and covered her eyes. Slowly guiding her through, when they came free of one of the most irritating obstacles in his life, he sacrificed his jacket to the mud and was about to advance when there was a blur besides him that rushed past.

"I'll be waiting for you on the other side of the finish line!" called out Luke as he raced by. Lelouch was furious and he could tell his horse felt the same. She reared up and bolted forward. Leaping halfway across the large river, she landed next to Luke. Both charges struggled to wade through the rushing waterway safely. When they burst free, the faux rain had finally ceased to fall, and Lelouch's visibility of the course became greater.

Moving closer to Luke so that he inched away, Lelouch forced him to the outside of the track until the villager was in danger of toppling over the fence. Giving him a small shove, the Britannian rushed back to the inside of the track. All was going well when, through his peripheral vision, the former emperor saw the intolerable "competitor" catching up to him.

It was strange though, as he had a smile on his face and a hand inside his jacket. Just as he came up besides Lelouch, Luke pulled out a handgun and pointed it right at space in between the raven-haired man's eyes.

"I see there's no other way to win except for this. I didn't want it to come to this, but as you're being so stubborn…"

"Luke! Boy, stop it! Don't you remember what happened-" yelled Alex.

"Shut up! You have no place to interfere!"

"Luke! Put the gun down!"

The teenager only laughed madly and told the foreigner, "Cera's mine now for sure, once you're dead and out of the way. Don't worry, Leroy. I'll make it as painless as possible."

He pulled the trigger, and the gunshot rang throughout the stadium. C2 bolted up and ran to the bottom of the bleachers and jumped over the balcony. She sprinted towards the two bodies on the mud. Morrigan and her opponent shot off towards the finish line, but no one was paying attention to the two beasts.

When Luke had pulled the trigger, Lelouch had grabbed his arm and pushed up. The bullet had ricocheted off of his helmet, which cracked in two, reminding him of what had happened a year ago on Kamine Island. Freeing his feet from the stirrups, he made the villager fall off along with himself. Stunned from plummeting to the ground at such a speed, and at having been shot at the head, Lelouch lay on the ground, unmoving and facing the black sky, gasping for breath. C2 came into view and said in worried voice, "You're bleeding."

He only put his hand on her cheek as she tore off the hem of her violet dress. Pressing it onto his forehead to staunch the light river of blood, she scolded, "You should be more careful. You've been bleeding an awful lot since we came here."

He whispered, "Maybe it's time we leave then."

"We've stayed here far too long." she agreed.

"Cera! Is Leroy okay? Is he alive? The two of you, hold Luke down!" ordered Alex.

"He's alright, he's just bleeding."

"Thank God, I thought he had….. Well, I'm just relieved we don't need to hold a funeral." said Alex. Cian ran up to them and took Lelouch's hand and hoisted him up.

"What are you doing?" demanded the immortal.

"I'm taking him out of here before things get out of control. Come on."

As the three walked away, they could hear Luke screaming in frustration. When they were a safe distance away, Cian slowed down and allowed for the bleeding man to rest. C2, irritated with the rash teenagers' actions, began to reprimand him, "What in the world were you thinking? Agreeing to something like this! I _told_ you not to, but you went against my advisement, and you went ahead. Why? Because you felt the need to-"

"It's not his fault, Cera."

"What?"

"It's not his fault." the florist repeated.

"What do you mean, it's not his fault?"

"There was… There was an incident like this before."

"Like what?"

"Where Luke did something like threaten someone's life."

"Why hasn't someone taken him away?"

"We have. But he said that he had repented and promised not to do it again."

"And the law just let him go?" she asked.

"No. I let him go."

"You?"

"Yes. Because I was one of the victims."

"Would you mind telling me the story?"

The villager sat down heavily next to Lelouch and began telling his story, "A few years ago, I was engaged to Max's, the jeweler, daughter Alice. She was so sweet and pretty. Everyone liked her. When Alice and I became engaged, everyone congratulated us except for one person. Luke. He tried to make Alice break off the engagement. He tried to court her, to steal her away, regardless that I was her fiancé. And when she refused to… He became furious and threatened her, and she still rejected his proposal. So Luke, he…. He… He accidentally killed…."

Cian stopped talking and put his head in his hands. The man next to him put down the soaked crude bandage and sat in a moment of silence for the usually cheerful villager with C2. After some time had passed, and he had gathered himself together, the gardener stood up and said, "Sorry. I should have told you earlier about Luke but…. This just happened so fast, and I couldn't bear to make you any more worried, Cera."

"It's fine, Cian. It's in the past now, and we've escaped from Luke."

"Still… I suggest you two leave as soon as possible. He'll find you, and Leroy, he won't stop at anything to get your wife. He's a little…. Mental."

"That's what we were considering. We've stayed too long here." informed the witch of their plans of moving.

"I'll try and get provisions for you two for tomorrow morning."

"There's no need. We'll be fine. Thank you for all of your help, Cian."

"I'm glad I could help you two become closer."

The emerald haired woman was about to say something, when a new voice cut in, "Is Mr. Leroy well? Is he injured in any way?"

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Cian. He jumped up from his seat and bowed.

The cut on Lelouch's forehead had healed at this point, and he also stood up hurriedly, but instead of bowing, he turned his back on the Empress. It was the wrong move. Nunnally gasped; they were too similar to her. This mysterious man named Leroy, who refused to meet her gaze, and her deceased older brother; if she hadn't seen him die before her eyes, she would've mistaken this man as her brother.

"Leroy, what are you doing?" asked Cian. There was a strange look on the Empress's face, and it worried him that she had been offended.

"I'm sorry Cian, but we have to go."

"C2?" inquired the light brown-haired girl.

The immortal cursed in her head for her carelessness. Nunnally had heard her voice before; now their cover would be blown. The florist became confused and mimicked, "C2? Who is C2, your Highness? Are you speaking to Cera?"

The girl in the wheelchair ignored the European's questions and only stared at the backs of the woman with light green hair tied in a braid and the tall man besides her that reminded her so much of Lelouch. With her eyebrows furrowed and a frown set on her face, she questioned, "C2, that's you, isn't it? It is you. Who's that next to you though?"

There was no answer, and the witch looked besides her to her fiancé; his grip around her hand had considerably tightened, whether from fear from being found out or anxiety at how unexpectedly and abruptly close they were to his beloved younger sister.

"Big… Big brother?" half-whispered Nunnally. Tears welled in her eyes as she repeated her question, "Big brother, is that you?"

**A/N: I hope it was worth the wait! Please continue to support A Thousand Cranes (if you find it worth your time, that is). Thank you!**


	11. Time For Change

**A/N: Well... I hope you like it :) I'll try my hardest to update as often as possible, so please hang in there!**

**Disclaimer: ****Code Geass**** is not my property.**

Ch. 11

C2 thought her hand was in danger of breaking, but she didn't say anything and only watched Lelouch's reaction. His eyes had narrowed, as if he were trying not to cry. She put her hand on his cheek, as if silently telling him, "There's no reason to weep."

"Big brother, if it really is you, please say something. Are you angry at me for misunderstanding your intentions? I'm sorry, big brother. I really am. I've missed you everyday ever since you…. Big brother, please look at me!"

Nunnally's voice was getting louder, and as it increased in volume, it also started to crack as she began to cry. Cian, perturbed, shifted uncomfortably on his feet; this was obviously something private, but he wasn't quite sure how to react; he finally settled on asking, "Your Highness, when you say "big brother", are you perhaps referring to the late Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia?"

The weeping girl ignored the blonde and only continued to appeal, "Big brother! It's you, isn't it? I know you should be dead right now, but I'm sure it's you, so why won't you answer my pleas?"

Lelouch swallowed; his throat was dry, but his eyes were not. He could feel C2 coming closer, her arm slipping around his waist. He looked towards her and read in her eyes, "It's time to go." Nodding, he heavily began to walk away from his younger sister, when she started to scream, "No! Don't leave me again! Big brother, come back to me! Come back to our family! We… No, the _world_ has become a better place because of you! Everyone is happy, because of your efforts to achieve what no one else could! After all of that hard work, you deserve to be happy! Come back to me, big brother, and I promise you I'll work my hardest to make you content, just as you have for everyone else! Big brother! Please, don't leave me… I miss you."

She broke down completely into sobs, and Cian was completely torn; should he comfort the sorrowful Empress, or chase after Leroy and Cera, whose identities he was now seriously doubting. He didn't finish his anxious pondering, as several armed men rushed around the corner and surrounded the crying monarch. Coming to the side of her wheelchair instantaneously was the masked savior, Zero. He put a gloved hand on her shoulder and knelt down, silently asking, "Are you well, your Highness?"

"There's no… N-need to sur-surround me like this…. I'm fine…. Just take me…. Back to my… My room, please." requested the young girl. She had finally calmed down enough to speak. The captain of the guard bent down and said, "But your Highness, we must capture the two who made you upset and interrogate them. It could be a possible assassination attempt."

"N-no. Let them go. Don't bother any villagers; please tell Chief Brandon that I'm tired from my trip to here, and that I've returned to my room to rest; also that I apologize for not being able to patronize the Annual Southern Ireland Derby. However, don't let my absence disturb their celebration."

"Yes, your Highness." the man replied, while bowing. As she was taken back to the suite that had been prepared for her, Nunnally closed her eyes and reflected on what had just happened.

She had just met a man who looked strikingly similar to her deceased older brother; the height, the way he walked, his hair; everything was exactly the same. But how could it be? He had clearly died in front of her; she remembered the way the warmth left his hand that she held onto as if it had happened yesterday, and the horrifying way his blood had been smeared all over the banner of Britannia. Despite that however, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the masked man was Lelouch; not to mention the woman besides him; she had clearly been C2. Her odd hair color, and the voice proved her correct.

So if it really was Lelouch, why didn't he answer any of her questions? Why did he not return her gaze? Why had he left her for the second time? Those were the questions that had been flitting around her head as she begged him to stay, when she had promised him that she would make him happy. Desperation flooded her as he walked away from her, and she questioned why he would doubt her in her promise to give happiness to her beloved older brother. She was sure he would agree with her, despite it's selfishness, that he deserved some happiness for himself; so why wouldn't he allow her, as a way to atone for her grave misunderstanding?

Her queries were answered by none other than her brother; when the guards had arrived, when all attention had been focused on her, she looked past them to the pair on the crest of the hill. The man had finally turned back, and the two violet eyes that stared at her told her all she needed to know; that yes, her brother was alive, and yes, he thought he deserved some joy for all that he did for the world, but he had also wordlessly told her that she would not be the one to fulfill his desire for contentment. That she could not, no matter what she did. He asked her to understand him, and to keep his life a secret.

Nunnally was not content; she desired to help her brother in his path for elation, not allow him to fade away from her again. In truth, she wasn't quite sure how she would keep something like this a secret; she knew if the secret that her brother was alive were ever spilt, he would be in grave danger again. 'How could he entrust such a big secret to me?' she thought while staring out of the large window. The sun was setting, and she was reminded of the way her older brother had constantly told her, "Whatever may have happened today, Nunnally, there's always tomorrow, and with tomorrow, there comes new opportunities to try again."

She had asked in trying for what, and he had answered, "In whatever you wish. It could be painting a bowl of fruit, making a new friend, even changing the world for the better. Even though the day ends, hope should not."

"Big brother, is this the chance that you've always wanted, to wipe away the pain from your past? Is this what you've always been looking to in the future?" she questioned.

Sighing, she thought, 'If you think that it's best for us to separate and go our own ways, I suppose I should listen to your suggestion, no matter how difficult it will be. Goodbye, big brother. Although the world may curse you, I will always know the truth. Thank you, for your sacrifice. We will always be in your debt.'

. . .

Lelouch sat down on the edge of the bed in their room, completely slumped over. His balaclava, dress shirt, and shoes were scattered everywhere on the floor, but no one bothered to pick them up. C2 suggested gently, "Lelouch, you should change your clothes. If you just sit there in your undershirt, you'll catch a cold; you're still drenched from the race."

He gave no reply and only rested his forehead on his clasped hands. The emerald-haired woman sat down besides him and hugged him; placing her chin on his bent-over shoulder, she said quietly, "I know you're upset from running into your sister like that suddenly, but Lelouch, you need to hold yourself together. I'm sorry that I'm being so insensitive to your situation, but we need to leave now. And in order to leave, I need your cooperation."

"I… I understand. Just give me a minute."

He never expected to run into Nunnally ever again after the Zero Requiem; he knew that he would hear things from rumors and the news about what the new ruler of the Britannian empire would do or say, but he never anticipated him meeting her in person. The incident completely shocked him; it was almost as bad when he first heard Nunnally's voice during the period when he thought she had died. Thinking of his alarm during that time, he reflected how his sister might feel at the moment; Lelouch had only heard of her death, but she had actually seen him supposedly die. The usual protective instinct that had culminated over several years for his younger sister woke again, and he felt the need to seek her out and pacify her fears and distress.

"C2, before we leave…"

"Yes?"

"There's someone I want to visit."

"…. Lelouch, I don't think it'll be a good idea to-"

"Don't worry. I'll cover our tracks."

"…. If it's what'll put you at ease." reluctantly said the witch.

"Thank you." replied the warlock.

. . .

While the entire village was enjoying themselves, Lelouch and C2 went to work; they packed their suitcases, along with food and water. The two wrote a short letter to the three villagers, thanking them for the hospitality and compassion they had given to two complete strangers and wishing them a long life full of joy. In the letter was an explanation for their sudden departure, saying that it was high time that they leave, especially with the threat of Luke. Putting it in an envelope marked with, "To Brandon, Cian, Alex, and Niamh", they left it, along with a sack of money behind the bar for the usually anxious but kindhearted village chief to find.

When they were on the village road back on their cart, C2 asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just have to say goodbye to someone specifically."

"Lelouch, I still don't think it's a good idea."

"C2, let me just have this one last conversation with her. It will be quick."

"…. Alright." she replied after sighing.

The raven-haired man somehow managed to climb a tree near the lodge where the Empress of Britannia was staying. Before rapping on the double French doors, he looked down from the balcony where he stood and gazed down at his fiancé, who was waiting with the cart. She waved him off, and he nodded, greatful that she allowed him to make this one stop.

. . .

Nunnally was woken from her nap by a curious knocking. It wasn't from the wooden door that served as the entrance to her suite, but rather from the balcony. Carefully rolling towards it, she grabbed a letter opener from her desk. Unlatching the doors, she asked, "Who is it?"

"Nunnally, you're not going to hurt anyone with a blunt object like that."

In surprise, she dropped the dull knife and could only stare at the person in front of her. He stepped inside, and she managed to say, "Big brother… You really are…"

"Alive?" Lelouch said for her.

"How are you…." she couldn't even finish her question.

"It's a long story, Nunnally."

For a while, there was only silence, until she suddenly broke down and began to cry. In between tears, she managed to choke out, "Big brother…. I'm so sorry… For misunderstanding you….. I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay; don't cry. Nunnally, it would be mean to cry, when I worked so hard to make a world that would please your morales."

"I'm sorry… I'll stop…" she struggled to obey her brother so that he wouldn't be put off.

Another pause in their conversation ensued, and when no more tears were flowing, she asked, "Would you like to sit down?"

"No. I only came to tell you that I'm leaving."

"But... But we just-"

"I have to leave. It's too dangerous for me here." explained the raven-haired man.

"Oh… I understand…"

"And that… Nunnally?"

"Yes, big brother?"

Lelouch knelt down so that he was eye-level with her and took her by the shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he ordered, "You are to forget your meeting me here, along with everything I told you the day the Zero Requiem took place. You are to only remember me the way everyone else in the world does; as the demon emperor who ruthlessly murdered millions of innocent people."

Her eyes began to glow red, and she bent over, saying, "No, no… No, I can't do that…. I love you, big brother, I… I… I hate… I hate big brother. I am so ashamed of him; how could someone be so inhumane? Huh? Why are the balcony doors open?"

She could hear cheering and laughing, and once outside, she spotted a cart rumbling down the dirt road. Nunnally momentarily wondered who would be travelling so late at night, but paid them no mind. She retreated back into her bedroom and found on her bed a framed picture of her older brother, the infamous 99th emperor of Britannia. In rare disgust, she threw away the picture, horrified of how she could think to carry the picture of such a damned and hated person.

. . .

"Lelouch, what did you do in there?" questioned C2

"I made sure no one would know that I'm alive." he replied in a slightly depressed voice.

"You used your…."

"I did." he answered tiredly.

C2 continued to drive the cart, giving her companion some time to organize his thoughts. As he looked over at the silvery river running besides them, Lelouch thought back at what the witch had told him when they were first running away from Pendragon.

_"Lelouch, there's something that I haven't told you."_

_ "There are many things you haven't told me, C2."_

_ "It's about your Geass and the Code."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ "As you know, when you gained the Code from Charles, you lost your Geass." she had said._

_ "And?" he was only paying attention slightly as he was struggling to control the horse._

_ "However, you have one last opportunity to use it. One last time to use Geass, and then it's lost forever."_

_ "So you're saying that now that I have the Code, I can only use my Geass one last time."_

_ "Yes. Choose well, Lelouch. Don't just waste it on something frivolous."_

_ "I know without you having to tell me, witch." he snapped, irritated._

He, who had had the power of the kings in his grasp for the past two years, who had been able to make nearly everyone in his path bend down to his will, was now completely free of the chains Geass had graced him with.

"How do you feel, now that you've returned to being a powerless person of little significance?"

"I would hardly say that I have little significance. To others, my existence will soon fade when enough time has flowed by but never to you, I hope." was his response. She gave a small smile and said, "Hmmm, well it really depends on how you treat me in the future."

"Have I not always treated you well?"

"Oh yes, throwing me into a truck full of tomatoes is definitely good treatment." C2 reminded him sarcastically of what had happened at one of the school festivals.

"Considering the situation, I think I did well."

"Well, let's not have a repeat of those circumstances then."

"Of course." Lelouch said while taking the reigns of the horse from her.

. . .

When they arrived at the nearest port city, the two deserted the cart and momentarily checked into a posh hotel. Inside, they prepared themselves for their journey to Barbuda, the island that would allow Lelouch to throw away his mask for the time being. As C2 bought their tickets, the raven-haired Britannian looked at their counterfeit passports. When his fiancé put the phone down, he asked, "Why do we have the passports of two girls?"

"You'll momentarily be transformed into Luluko."

"_Luluko_?" he refused to believe his ears. She carefully explaind, "Nobody will become suspicious if a seasick girl doesn't come out of her cabin, especially if she's partially injured. Trust me; I've done this with Kallen when you lost your memories. It'll be easier for you than me during our trip to the island."

"But still…. _Luluko_?"

"Well, you won't be Luluko by exact name… Lelouch, you won't even have to wear a wig or a dress, save for the hour that it takes to get on the boat, and the hour that it takes to get off. I'm sure the student council president at your school made you cross-dress for a lot longer than that."

"….. Whatever. I don't want to argue about this."

"I wasn't the one arguing." C2 told him.

Once they were on the boat disguised as two sisters who were distantly related to the Empress of Britannia, or so they declared, Lelouch began to relax slightly; maybe they really could make it without any trouble. When they were in their first-class cabin, the two shed their wigs, leaving two piles of black hair on the large beds. The former Emperor took off his balaclava and remembered the woman's reaction when she had seen his passport.

_"Passport, please."_

_ "Marianne, your passport." repeated C2. She had also donned a black wig, so that it would be more believable that they were two siblings. Lelouch, who was masked and completely uncomfortable in a dress, silently handed it to her, who in turn gave it to the bored employee. When she had scanned it over the computer for its validity, the bespectacled woman requested, "Could you take your mask off please, Miss LaFontaine?"_

_ "My sister can't."_

_ "I'm sorry, but it's international travel's law, and-"_

_ "Did you see her picture?" asked the witch._

_ "What?"_

_ "Her picture on the passport." C2 was already bored with how incompetent this woman was. The dullness she felt disappeared soon, as the worker turned to the computer monitor and a look of utter horror appeared on her face. She hurriedly apologized and waved the two through the gates._

_ When they were out of earshot of anyone, C2 commented, "She has such a weak stomach."_

_ "Well, considering the entire lower half of my face is terrifically disfigured, or so my "passport" states…. I think the woman handled it with grace. At least she didn't throw up."_

_ "Nope. Look at her now. She's running by to the restroom."_

_ The two laughed quietly, whether in amusement or in relief, they both weren't quite sure, but were glad for the opportunity anyways._

"C2."

"What is it?" she answered.

"What are we supposed to do in this room for the next seven days?" queried Lelouch as he changed from the clothes of a woman. His fiancé sat up from the bed and replied, "Well, I was thinking we could decide what we're going to do with this part of our lives in Barbuda. I'd like some food to eat, preferably pizza, and we also need somewhere to live."

"I see…"

"Are you any good at drawing?" the emerald-haired woman interrogated.

"Drawing? I'm not the best, but-"

"Drawing on a computer."

"Why?" he stopped buttoning his dress shirt to stare in surprise.

"It's time to create the blueprint of our new home. We need to finish it in four days, but if this is all we're doing for the next few days, I'm sure it'll be enough time."

"And after the four days?" he questioned.

"We send it off towards the construction company."

"The payment?"

"Will be made once we see the completed house."

"However did they agree to something like that?" he wondered out loud.

"Never underestimate the power of persuasion."

"I'll keep that in mind." said Lelouch while smiling.

. . .

Strangely enough, even though the closest Lelouch got to going outside for a week was sitting by the window, he was never really felt frustrated with being closeted in a room, no matter how large. C2 left at times during the day to stretch her legs or to get a bite of pizza that her lover was now sick of. His thoughts, which had been once been busy with analyzations of situations, and what path and method would produce the best result in overthrowing the 98th Emperor's reign, was now full of questions, such as what would create the best home for himself and C2 in the years to come.

"Lelouch."

"Yes?"

"Are you done with the blueprint?"

"I am. What do you think?" he asked while leaning back in his chair. The computer was before him, and on it was the electronic plan for their new home. C2 came closer and examined it closely.

"Hmmm….. Could we move the kitchen closer to the entrance?"

"That's what I was debating over. Because if we do, then we have to shift the bedroom to here." the raven-haired man explained.

"I'm fine with that."

"Alright." he replid while making the correct adjustments.

Bending over his lap, she sent the electronic drawing to the company in Antigua, the more populated sister island of Barbuda. Closing the laptop, she asked, "Well, now you have completely empty hands for the next three days. What are you going to do now?"

"Hmmmmmm, I don't know. What _will_ I do with myself for the next three days? What do you think, C2?" he voiced his rhetorical question before kissing her. Standing up from the chair, they stumbled backwards onto the bed, where she replied, "Nap."

"What?"

"Nap. Take a nap. I'm tired today, Lelouch, after eating all of that pizza."

"You should really try to eat something else besides pizza. It's not good for your health." he told her while brushing her long hair away from her face. She replied, "Lecture me some other day, I'm sleepy." while rolling away from his grasp. Sighing, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him. Closing his eyes, he rested her head in the crook of his neck. C2 said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking a nap, like you told me to."

She only stared at him and he opened his eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"I thought you were tired."

"I am." C2 answered.

"Then go to sleep. We have lots of time." Lelouch stated.

"I know that. I told you."

"That you did."

There was silence until she said, "Lelouch."

"What is it?" he mumbled.

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yes. Why are you telling me this all of a sudden though? Are you planning to disappear in the middle of the night?"

"Even if I did, I have a feeling that you would just find me again one way or other, especially with that head of your's."

He smiled and told her, "I would. But then again, why would you leave me?"

"That's true."

She closed her eyes to sleep, when she heard, "I love you too."

"What?"

"I said that I love you too. I have, I do, and I will. Which is why I gave you this." he raised her left hand and showed her the ring that seemed to glow in the dim lighting. As the two stared at the ring, C2 asked, "When are we going to get married, Lelouch?"

The raven-haired man sighed and said, "When our situation allows it; I don't want it to be an impromptu ceremony, but in order to have an actual wedding, we need to be entirely safe, which we're not yet. You understand, right?"

"I do."

"I want to get married as soon as possible too. You're not the only one."

"So until that day…"

"When we're no longer in immediate danger, that's when we'll go and pick a wedding dress for you."

"You promise?"

"Yes." he whispered into her bangs as he kissed her forehead. Choosing to trust Lelouch's words, C2 closed her eyes for the last time that evening and fell asleep in the loving embrace of Lelouch.

. . .

Two weeks had passed since their arrival at Antigua. The construction of their house had finished, and two pair had moved in. Just as Lelouch had said, Barbuda was uninhabited, allowing the raven-haired man to roam around outside without having to wear a mask. Their white house, with it's large windows and open spaces, sat near the beach. It had a large patio that faced the ocean with a latticed roof overhead for shade. It was when they had finally comfortably settled in, that Lelouch showed C2 the jar.

She was sitting at the table on the porch braiding her hair, when Lelouch set down a glass container in front of her. She said, "What is this?"

"Do you remember when I was shot in the knee, and you told me to fold a thousand cranes and think of a wish?" he asked her while sitting down besides her. She replied, "That's when you told me you wanted to marry me."

"Look in the jar, C2. What do you see?"

"Folded cra…. When did you finish a thousand of them?" the emerald-haired woman questioned.

"I did it when you weren't looking, and I'm finally done. And…."

"And?"

"Shouldn't my wish be granted now?" he put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. His fiancé said, "What's your wish?"

"It hasn't changed."

"Changed from…. Oh."

"What do you think?" Lelouch began to smile, and C2 smiled back while answering, "I think it's one of your best ideas."

"Then shall we go to town to start planning?"

"Yes."

He stood up and offered her his hand. The witch took it and also rose from her chair. The jewels on her engagement ring caught the bright light of the tropical sun and threw rainbows everywhere, as if to say that it too was glad to finally change into a wedding band.

**A/N: I realize that there's hole in the chapter, because Lelouch already used the Geass on Nunnally before in R2, and there are going to be people who go: WTF and all I can say, quite frankly, is... I'm sorry. I really am. I suppose I could have rewritten the chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to. It just felt right that Lelouch erases Nunnally's memories so that she can live unburdened by how nobody in the world knows the truth about Lelouch's actions and decisions. But once again... I apologize deeply for the way I destroyed the original Code Geass plot :( I hope you'll forgive me.**

**A/N 2: It's nearly the end! I can feel it! I think there'll be one more chapter, or maybe two. We'll see how it goes. But I'm so glad that Lelouch and C2 are finally safe! Don't you think so?**

**Also, I'm sure someone out there reading this will think: But he just made Nunnally hate him, so how can he act as if nothing is wrong? I didn't write this, but it was kind of inferred that Lelouch is still hurting. He's still upset about having to do that to Nunnally.**

**And regarding a curious issue that I should have addressed earlier... Lelouch's fistfight with Luke. Some of you were surprised when you read what had happened to Luke versus what had happened to Lelouch. You were probably like: How is that even possible? Even _I_ was surprised. But an important thing to note: never underestimate the power of jealousy and love, and what strength it can give ^^**

**One last thing; if you happen to be unsatisfied with what happened to Luke... Don't lose hope! It's not the end yet!**


	12. My Queen

**A/N: Hahaha… Happier news for Lelouch! Yay! I hope you like it!**

Ch. 12

It was a quiet afternoon in the seaside town, allowing Lelouch to be completely relaxed. Gently swinging his hand that was clasping C2's, he looked towards the sky; not even the mask he was wearing right now particularly bothered him. Wearing a thin floral shift and her long hair in a high ponytail, she glanced into the shops' windows and asked, "Where should we start?"

Ever cautious, he bent down and answered quietly, "Well, unlike most weddings, we don't need to plan a party for several people. Let's settle with getting our clothes and finding the place for the ceremony for now."

"Alright. Clothes or ceremony setting?"

"Which one would you prefer?" he questioned. They stopped walking.

"Me? I don't really care." C2 replied, but Lelouch caught her eyes wandering off to the displays of the stores, which made him say, "Let's find our clothes first. I have a feeling that'll take the most time, and I want the task requiring the most amount of time out of the way."

"You'll never look at getting things done unmethodically and inefficiently, will you?" she asked.

"It's a part of my personality. Why, do you not like it?"

"No, it's just funny. I wonder if it'll change with time."

"Well, we'll see. Now, where shall we go first?"

The couple visited several stores, but none were for Lelouch. As he sat in numerous seats in the various bridal boutiques they visited and watched C2 try on a wide assortment of wedding dresses, he always thought that she looked beautiful. But he could tell that she never actually liked them. When she stepped onto the small display pedestal for what was probably the 20th time, she sighed and said, "Let's stop."

Standing up from his seat, he walked over to her and asked softly, "Stop what?"

"This wedding dress hunt we've been on for the past few hours. Aren't you bored or tired, Lelouch?" she answered in a voice that was also low, so that the employees couldn't hear.

"Not really. I'd think you would be more tired; you're the one constantly changing your clothes."

"I'm fine, but what about you?"

"C2, I'm enjoying this. Every single one of these dresses are pretty, and it's a pleasure to see you wearing them."

"Maybe we should retire for a moment and start looking for your suit."

"Let's try one more store."

"One more _store_?" her disbelief at his willingness to continue was evident. He compromised and asked, "One more dress then?"

"… One more. Then to you."

"Alright. Let me pick this one out for you though."

"Are you sure you can?"

"You should know, Sayoko and I went out often to buy Nunnally's clothes. I think I can handle something like this."

"… We'll see."

"Do you like the dress, Mademoiselle?" inquired the woman; dressed in a pencil skirt and a blouse, she was the epitome of snobbiness.

"We're planning on searching around more. My fiancé will be picking this time, though. Could you keep an eye on him please?" C2 requested.

"Of course, Mademoiselle."

Lelouch wandered around the shop. There were so many dresses of all shapes, sizes, and colors. As he looked through them, he viewed them as all well designed creations, but none stood out; until he found it. Picking the right size for C2, he wordlessly handed it to the employee, who had been trailing him around. She saw his choice, and smiled.

"What exquisite taste you have, Monsieur."

He was completely astonished. His fiancé turned around from the three-way mirror to shyly look at Lelouch. She asked, "Well….?"

"I… I have nothing to say." luckily, the staff of the boutique were in the backroom, retrieving something that the emerald-haired woman had requested, and there was no one else in the store, so Lelouch could speak at a more comfortable level.

"Is it that bad?"

"I'm absolutely stunned."

"In a good way or a bad-"

"In an entirely lovely way. You look utterly charming." he complimented.

C2 had her hair up in a ballerina bun, and was wearing white elbow-length gloves and ivory high heels, but that wasn't what made Lelouch so speechless. The dress she was trying on, that he had picked for her, was a strapless garment that was floor-length. The fabric was also ivory, but there was a sash of navy blue silk at the hip. At the back, it was tied into a bow, and from the cloth belt down, there was a second layering of lace in a blue so pale, it looked nearly white.

"Do you like the dress?" her fiancé asked.

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't feel like I look very nice in it. Maybe there's-" C2 was unusually doubting herself, when she heard the masked man say, "C2, even you secretly know that you look beautiful."

She said nothing in reply, and Lelouch continued, "I won't push you towards anything, but I really-"

"Let's get it." she decided abruptly.

He smiled, just as the employee returned and asked, "Have you come upon a conclusion, Mademoiselle?"

"Yes. We'll get this one."

"Excellent choice, Mademoiselle."

. . .

The rest of the preparations were finished in a short matter of time, and on the dawn of the month anniversary of moving into their new home in Barbuda, Lelouch and C2 woke up on their wedding day.

They lay still in bed, staring at the cream ceiling above, their hands clasped together. The raven-haired man wondered out loud, "Today's the day, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. Are you happy, now that your wish is finally being granted?" C2 rolled over to look at Lelouch. Returning her gaze, he confessed, "I have to admit, those thousand cranes were a nice tool in proposing to you. It sped things up."

"It did, but then again, you need some personal joy that doesn't involve overthrowing your father or ridding the world of inter-national violence." she agreed.

"But I got to know you and understand you and fall in love with you because of those events."

"It's the same for me. As sick as it sounds, I'm glad it all happened."

"That's a relief I'm not the only way who thinks it. Now… I think it's time to get ready for our wedding." said the former Emperor.

. . .

C2 and Lelouch, after they had eaten breakfast and washed, took a boat to Antigua. There, they split up; the bride to the salon to prepare, and the groom to the church where the ceremony would be held. Although he had to prepare himself on his own, Lelouch didn't particularly mind; he had always been alone, and it was better that there wasn't anyone with him at the moment, as he wanted to do some thinking.

It had taken him a long time for him to come up with a wish to be happy; it took him 18 years. And now here he was, making the first come true. As he secured the wine-purple necktie into a knot over his pale blue dress shirt, he stared at himself in the mirror; he would forever look like this. His hairstyle could change, the darkness and lightness of his skin could change, but his youth would not. He knew that immortality, while it sounded nice, was really a curse after being in its possession for a long time, he didn't think the path ahead of him as dark as it could be, as he wouldn't be alone.

Buttoning his navy-blue vest, he wondered how C2 felt; after all of the time that she had spent travelling alone, there was finally someone she could be with without having to worry about the frailness that mortality offered. Smiling at himself, he remembered what had happened when they had finally finished planning their wedding.

_"We really are getting married, aren't we, Lelouch?" she had been sitting at the kitchen's bar, while he had been chopping a carrot for their lunch. He answered, "Well, that's what I had in mind as we went around of what seemed the entirety of Antigua."_

_ "Married…. Hmm… What's it like?"_

_ "What's being married like?" he asked._

_ "No. What's it like being with people who care about you and understand you at all times?"_

_ "You should know." he replied while reaching for a potato._

_ "How would I know?"_

_ Slightly exasperated, he put down the knife and looked up at her from the cutting board and said, "C2, I'm right here. I, who has cared and understood and loved you for about the approximate time of two years, am with you. Tell me, what does it feel like to be loved truly?"_

_ She mused out loud, "It feels… Different. I may have said that the only thing that remains within me are the memories of when I had been branded with the title of a witch, but I will never be able to forget what emotions I had when I had my Geass. The love that I got from then…. Although it was affection, it was lifeless and cold. Fake. Maybe it was because of how it was earned; falsely."_

_ "Maybe so…" he murmured while returning to the vegetable._

_ "But with you, Lelouch… Security and warmth. I can tell it's sincere."_

_ He had smirked and commented, "There's no need to get so emotional."_

_ "But there is. I've waited for hundreds of years, so that I could say this to someone sincerely."_

_ "What?"_

_ "I love you."_

Although it had not been the first time she had said it directed towards himself, whenever C2 uttered those three words, Lelouch was always caught off guard by how much it affected him. An almost foreign feeling rushed throughout him, and he would smile genuinely. Just as he was now, thinking about the day ahead. Slipping on his dark blue swallowtail coat, he brushed himself off and scrutinized himself up and down. He had never been one much for vanity, unlike some of his half-brothers and half-sisters; of course, he always wanted to be well-dressed, but he never spent much time or thought on how he looked; he didn't have the energy or need to; he was always either in his school uniform or the suit of Zero most of the time. And rarely did he go out of the school grounds not in his uniform with other people besides C2 where he had to stress about what to wear. But today…. He wanted to look his best. Even if it was for one person.

He smoothed his dark hair down and was startled by the nervousness he felt; this was a different type of anxiety than when he was unsure if an operation of the Black Knights would succeed, or even when he was activating the F. L. E. I. J. A. countermeasure. While that had been more a heavy knot in the pit of his stomach, today it felt like there were butterflies… Lelouch was surprised that he could be feeling something so adolescent after all he had been through. Shaking his head, he made sure his bride's ring was safely in his pocket, and then stepped outside to the main room of the small church.

. . .

While the hairdressers and makeup artists were chattering all around her, C2 sat quietly, staring at herself in the mirror. She had changed into her dress after a quick shower, with the scent of mint wafting off of her, and now she was in a chair, her hair and face being done. For her wedding day. She thought, 'You've come a long way for this, haven't you?' She remembered the day when ahe had been in the thought elevator, about to give her immortality to Charles, when she had heard, "I can grant your true wish!"

The words he had yelled… They had echoed with desperation, fear, but also with… Sincerity, care, and love. He refused to lose her; he couldn't. She smiled as she wondered, 'Since when did he begin to love me? To find value for me, not as a chess piece in his giant game against the world, but as a woman… When had he found the affection reserved specially for me?'

"Ah ha, there's the smile that we've all been waiting for!"

She looked questioningly at the dark-skinned hairdresser, who said, "You've not been smiling at all ever since you stepped in here. We all thought you were going to your execution, and not your wedding!"

"Oh…"

"Your such a lucky woman." sighed the woman.

"What makes you say that?" C2 replied.

"The way your fiancé looks at you… Girls, when was the last time we saw a man look at a woman like that?"

"Never!" answered the rest of the women around C2 zealously.

"So much love…. Mind trading places with me? I'd trade anything to have a man care about me like that!" the leader joked. The bride searched her mind for the hairdresser's name, and recalled that it was Mara.

"He's not as perfect as you or he likes to think." the immortal said.

"Oh, now this is interesting. What makes you say that?" questioned Mara.

"He's weak, physically, compared to other men his age, and he's often cynical about things. He also looks at things analytically, with a calculating mind. He's also a cold person, that often pushes people away from him."

"But you love him all the same."

"Yes. Because when he loves you… He really deeply does. He worries for you, cares for you, always puts you into consideration in his actions and words…" trailed off C2. A woman putting on the witch's eyeliner said, "Your love story with him must've been a fairytale. Where'd you meet?"

"In the land once called Area 11, two years ago."

"Two years ago…. That was right before the Black Rebellion! Did you two hide together and rescue each other during the Rebellion, like in stories?"

"… We did."

"And that's how you fell in love! Wow, just think about it. Falling in love with all of that war and fighting around you…. Something you only see in movies and books." commented Mara enviously.

"I suppose."

"Well, we'll help you look as beautiful as possible, so that when your groom sees you, he'll be speechless!"

"I find that hard to imagine, but you can try."

"Ooooh girls, we have ourselves a challenge! After your honeymoon, come back and visit us and tell us all about your wedding. We'd love to hear about it." said the hairdresser not unkindly while grinning.

. . .

The pastor was old; the reason they had chosen him was because he was deaf and blind; but he was also kind. He tended to carry one-sided conversations though, as he was deaf and couldn't hear people's replies. In the small church with the stained glass windows, Lelouch stood at the altar nervously with the old man. He was tanned and wrinkled, not to mention hunched over, but he had a smile on his face. When the couple had seeked him out, the pastor's assistant had handed him the two wedding rings and he had said, "Ah ha. A matrimonial ceremony, eh? I can do that. Just tell me when, and I'll be waiting for you at the altar with my Braille book."

"I can imagine how nervous you are. I remember when it was _my_ wedding day. Of course, this was before I lost my hearing and my sight, but I'll never forget how my wife looked on that day. So beautiful… Like an angel. But then, she really did turn into an angel, and until the day I can join her again… I'll have to unite other couples. But be happy, boy! This day only comes once… Hopefully."

Lelouch only kept silent and stared at the large wooden double doors. There were only two people in the church, and he urgently needed the third; he didn't think he could bear with the anxiety much longer. Just as he considered calling her, the doors opened, revealing the bride behind.

C2, whose hair had been tied into a messy bun, was in her full wedding regalia. The dress they had chosen together, her elbow-length gloves, her high-heels, the make-up, the veil, and small crown, her bouquet of peonies… The violet eyes refused to move from her.

The pastor said, "If the bride and groom would take my hand momentarily to tell me that they're here, I'll commence the ceremony…"

Throughout the reading from the Bible, Lelouch kept his eyes glued on C2. She in turn was staring at him, and she said, "Could you stop looking at me like that? It's making me feel awkward."

"C2, I…"

"You what?"

"I… Can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" she asked.

"How lucky I am. To have survived the entire ordeal with Britannia, to have met you, to be getting _married_ to you…"

"Lelouch, with the way you're acting, it should be the blushing groom, and not the blushing bride. Keep it up this way, and your cheeks'll be pink to match my bouquet."

"Do you, Lelouch, take C2 to be your lawfully wedded wife, in happiness and sadness, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do you part? If you do, please take my hand."

He placed his hand.

"And do you, C2, take Lelouch to be your lawfully wedded husband, in happiness and in sadness, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do you part? If you do, please take my other hand."

She placed his hand.

"Well, it's pleasure to tell you, Lelouch, that you may finally kiss the bride."

The raven-haired man reached for C2's veil and lifted it up over her crown. Looking down at her, he said, "Well, he says that I can kiss you now."

"Oh Lelouch, you really _are_ blushi-"

Before she could continue any more, he bent down and kissed her. She reached up and put her arms around his neck, pulling him down as he hugged her closer. The old man, smiling, walked away slowly, tapping the area in front of him with his walking stick. Before he left the church, however, he looked back and thought, 'I suppose even the most hated person on Earth needs some peace too… Don't worry; after living in this world for centuries, I've seen many things and heard others, and I understand what you've done and why. Your sacrifice is great, and I thank you for making this world, which was once cruel and war-torn, peaceful. You have earned my respect, and as a result, your secret is safe with me, Lelouch vi Britannia. May you find joy in the years to come.'

. . .

The sun was gently setting, making the sky explode into various shades of pastel colors, signaling that the wedding day was coming to an end. Lelouch and C2 sat across from each other in a hammock in front of their home. A tropical breeze kept it swinging smoothly, and the atmosphere was completely calm. The newfound married man was tying colorful flowers together, when he heard, "Have you ever wondered what could have happened if the Zero Requiem never took place?"

He was a little surprised by the subject she had chosen to discuss, but after some thinking, he replied, "I find it highly unlikely that I wouldn't have planned the Zero Requiem. But if, on the off chance, I decided to stay as emperor, then one of the things that would have happened are the deaths of the Black Knights and Nunnally, among others."

"Have you ever imagined something _positive_ in your musings of what would have happened if you decided against the Requiem?"

"Well… I probably would have had a less lonely breakfast that day." he said pointedly towards C2. She was gazing out over at the ocean.

"I'm sorry… I just… I didn't think I could face you that morning."

"Even though you were the only person, besides myself, who knew the truth behind the Requiem?"

"Call it a revival of some human feelings within me, but…. Yes."

"Well, it's nice to know now. But my answer to your original question…. If I hadn't faked my assassination, and continued on as ruler of a large part of the world, I probably would have made myself a queen." Lelouch answered.

"A queen? Don't tell me it would've been Kallen."

"Being Q1 in battle and being my _wife_ are two completely irrelevant things. Don't tell me you're _jealous_."

"I'm not _jealous_. I'm being open-minded. Technically, you could pardon her from treason one way or other, with that smart head of your's, and then have married her." reasoned C2. Her line of vision turned towards the large blanket and picnic basket that was stretched out over the beach, as a result from their late lunch. Lelouch countered, "But why would I go through all of that trouble, when I could marry the person that has always been next to me and never labeled as a "traitor" to Britannia and myself, especially if I _loved_ that person?"

"Well, who-"

"_You_. _You _would have been my queen. Without any hesitation or deep consideration. No one else can match your understanding of my decisions and my way of thinking, the methods that I use, why my enemies are my enemies… _You_ are the one person who always knew me best, besides myself."

"Other people can come to comprehend, given enough time, or a good enough explanation." said his wife.

"But I don't love other people; I love you. That's why, whether I decided to act upon the Zero Requiem or not, right this moment, in either situation, you would be my queen." he told her while setting the crown of flowers gently on her head.

"Lelouch…"

"I feel like that was a second proposal, in a way, don't you think?"

"Lelouch, I…" she tried a second time to say what was on her mind.

"What is it?"

"We really are together, aren't we?"

"For the years to come…"

"I can hardly believe how I'm not going to be alone now… I don't have to worry about having to see someone that I care about die."

"C2…. Let's talk about something on the lighter side. After all, isn't it the evening of our wedding day?"

"You… You're so…" she understood what he was implying.

"Isn't it natural? I mean, we're alone, and it's the night of our wedding…" he said while leaning towards her. As he did, however, he unbalanced the hammock, causing for the two to fall out and land on the sand. When it had settled down, and no one was coughing, Lelouch began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Nothing's funny. I'm just so, incredibly happy, and I don't have any burdens, save for one."

"What?"

"Going to bed. Come on, C2, even you know you want it."

"Everything you say is for your convenience."

"And everything _you_ say is for _your _convenience. But lucky us, we both want the same thing, so why should we be arguing like this when we could be doing something else?"

"We're not arguing, Lelouch."

"Then what are we doing?"

"We're going inside, like you wanted us to." she replied innocently. He gaped at her retreating back, until he laughed and ran up to her. Lifting her up into a bridal-style hold, he kissed her and asked, "Shall we start the journey ahead of us, my queen?"

"We shall."

**A/N: Alright… So… That was the end. EXCEPT. There's still a loose end I'd like to tie up, so… It's the end, but not really. I hope you look forward to it!**

**(…. That was a pretty bad ending, but I'm not completely sure how else to end it…. So…. Sorry!) **


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: I'm sorry for the crap epilogue... I rewrote it, and I hope you find this one more satisfactory.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass is not my property.**

C2 sat up, gasping for breath. Outside of the window, the full moon was shining over the calm ocean, and inside, besides her on the bed, was a sleeping Lelouch. She was shaking from the fright her nightmare had given her, covered in a light sheen on sweat. Not wanting to disturb her husband, she climbed out from underneath the covers and walked outside to the patio. Hugging herself, she looked out onto the gently crashing waves, when she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. She jumped from surprise and could feel his warm breath tickle her ear, "What's wrong, C2?"

"It's nothing, Lelouch."

He rested his chin on her shoulder and said, "No, something _is_ wrong. Did you have a nightmare?"

"What am I, a child?"

He simply nuzzled her neck, and she sighed.

"Yes. I had a nightmare."

"What was it about?" he coaxed gently.

"… I was in a wheat field, alone. It looked like what you would find in a picture; the sky was blue with billowing, white clouds, and there was a small breeze."

"And then?"

"And then… She was there."

"Who?" he asked her, careful not to push her too much.

"… The nun… Her eyes were glowing, with the sign of Geass… She smirked at me….. And then she turned into you, Lelouch."

"Me?" the raven-haired man frowned.

"Yes, you. You were standing in front of me, in the clothes of Zero. You took your gloved hands and lifted my face so that I was looking up at you."

"How is this a nightmare, C2?"

"And then you said, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia, order you to forget about me. You and I will be complete strangers, from this moment on.". You were smiling as you said it, and it looked like you had wanted to erase my memories of you, so that you would be rid of me."

"C2, I-"

"Just like you did to Nunnally. But this time, every single memory wiped."

"I-"

"And then you transformed into Luke… He grabbed me, and said, "I have you now, Cera. And this time, your fake husband won't be here to stop me." and he showed me your…. Your bloody…. Your bloody corpse. And the blood was soaking the wheat, so that it was crimson, instead of golden, and Luke wouldn't let me look away, and I kept thinking, 'Fake husband? Do I know this person? Why did this man call the person my fake husband?'"

He could feel her tremble, and he sighed as she confessed, "Lelouch, I was so scared…"

Turning her around, her husband put his hand on the back of her head and pressed her close to him. Soothingly, the Britannian murmured, "Don't cry. There's no need to cry. I'll always be here, and I'll never erase your memories of me. C2, I can't, even if I wanted to, which I never will. So don't cry…"

His words and voice were gentle, but at the reminder of Luke, Lelouch's expression hardened; if he were ever to come across the bastard again, there was no telling what he would do to satisfy his anger. Wiping away her tears, he asked after some time, "Are you feeling better?"

"Y-yes…" she replied while hiccupping. Lelouch led her back into their home, but not before looking back over the ocean and silencing his fury towards the one who had tried to take what was so precious from him.

. . .

The witch sat in the gently swinging hammock, looking over the ocean with a troubled expression. How was she going to? What would his reaction be? Was this even possible? How could she have…

"C2," she turned back to look at her husband. Sitting down besides her, he handed her a tall glass while saying, "Your ice tea."

She simply stared at it and Lelouch furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

"… Does that have caffeine in it?"

"Caffeine? A little. Why?"

"… I can't drink that then."

"…. Why?"

She didn't reply and looked away. Frowning, the raven-haired man gently turned her head so that she was facing him again. Smoothing out the turned-down corners of his mouth, he inquired, "C2, why did you ask me if iced tea had caffeine?"

Her golden eyes peeked out from underneath her eyelashes and she questioned slowly, "Lelouch, do you remember… That day in the village? When you first proposed to me?"

Something clicked in his head and he asked, "Are you…?"

"I've done the test 4 times. And each time… It's been positive."

His eyes widened and the glass slipped from his hand, falling onto the sand. C2 winced as she saw his reaction to the news. Biting her lip, she said, "… If… If we really think that it's too early, then there's always the option of abor-"

"No."

She was surprised. What had he just said?

"No. No, we're not… This is my daughter-"

"Son."

"Child. This is my, no… _Our_ child that we're talking about. I won't lose her-"

"Him."

"… Them. I won't lose them."

She hugged him, catching him off-guard. Pushing him down, she lay down on his chest and said, "Thank you, Lelouch."

"For what?" he wrapped his arms around her, even more carefully now that he knew that she was carrying his child.

"… For being supportive. I thought you'd be against him."

"I'm going to raise her like no other. I'll be a better parent than the Emperor and my mother."

"I'm sure you'll make an excellent father."

"Do you really think so?" he had said that he would be a better parent, but was he really prepared to prove his claim?

"Of course. You raised Nunnally, and look how well she turned out."

"Nunnally…"

"… Lelouch. I'd like to warn you though."

"What?"

"… We're not naming our child after your sister." the emerald-haired woman could feel him stiffen underneath her and his voice was slightly frigid as he questioned, "…. Why not?"

"… We're just not. I refuse."

"… We'll discuss this later."

"Lelouch-" but he changed the subject.

"To think… I'm going to be a father."

"Are you excited?"

"Of course. Who wouldn't be excited to hear they're going to be a father?"

"What do you think he'll look like, Lelouch?"

"She'll be absolutely beautiful if she takes after you." he twirled her long hair around his finger thoughtfully.

"It's going to be a long nine months…"

"I can wait. If it's for our child… I can wait."

"Hmmm, well, while you're waiting, I think you should also go make me something eat."

"What do you want?"

"Dragon fruit."

"Dragon fruit?" he raised himself on his elbow and looked at her with a frown.

"Dragon fruit and foie gras. Right now. Go, Lelouch."

"… Yes, your Majesty." if C2's appetite was going to be any more exotic than this, then it certainly was going to be a very long nine months…

. . .

Kissing her on the forehead, Lelouch murmured words of encouragement as C2 gasped and moaned in pain. She held his hand in an iron-grip, but he didn't particularly mind. If the only thing he could do for her was to let her crush his hand… Well, so be it. Smoothing her sweaty hair from her forehead, he cupped her cheek with his free hand and kissed her, only to have her bite his lip.

His cries momentarily joined her bawling until she released him, only to have her grab fistfuls of his hair. Pulling it, she wailed, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't kissed me like that that day, this never would have happened!"

Wincing from the stinging violence and accusation, he replied, "C2, you're doing incredibly well. My sweet, strong queen. You're doing so well, C2. I promise you, I'll make you plenty of pizza to satisfy even your-"

"How many times," she screeched, "Do I… Do I have to tell you… The smell of pizza makes me want to throw up?! How many times?! Why do you have to be such a horrible husband?!"

"Sir, I'm going to need you to hold your wife's leg up."

Lelouch was about to move to the foot of the bed when she grabbed his shirt and whimpered, "No, wait, don't leave me."

"I'll be right here, C2. I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you. Don't worry."

"Lelou- Ah!" she screamed, her face contorting from pain. Deserting her leg momentarily, he bent down so that their foreheads were touching. Wiping away her tears, he whispered, "C2, remember… Remember your wish. Remember mine. Now think of our wish. _Our_ desire. To be with our child. To raise our baby into someone we're proud of, to watch over them, to guide them. Think of the thousand cranes… C2, _this_ is our thousand cranes…"

"L-lelouch…" she mewled.

"What is it?"

"I love you."

Smiling gently, he kissed her and replied, "I love you too. Now push, C2. Push!"

. . .

Lelouch sat on the edge of the bed carefully. He gazed down at the small bundle in his arms, green hair framing the baby's sleeping face. He felt a hand on his arm and looked down at his tired wife.

"Let me see…" the raven-haired man gave her the fruit of her efforts. A wide smile and tears appeared as she held her child carefully, looking down in wonder.

"Our child… Lelouch, look. He has your eyes." the newborn opened his eyes momentarily after yawning.

"Our beautiful son… You've done admirably, C2."

She was about to reply, when there was a knock and a nurse came in, holding a clipboard. She smiled at the family and said, "If you could just fill out the form for the birth certificate, we'd like to know what you've decided to name your-"

"C2! C2, we came as soon as we could!" pushing the nurse aside, Mara, the hairdresser and new friend of the witch, swept into the room while leading the rest of the stylists. Setting down her bag on a chair, she exclaimed excitedly, "Look girls, look! C2, what have you named your first?"

The emerald-haired woman looked up at her husband, who was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Um…" what _were_ they going to name him?

"Oh! Oh, why don't I name him? It's a him, right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Oh, you got your wish!" Mara cheered, along with the rest of the abrupt visitors, "But why don't I name him? Since I'm the godmother?"

C2 looked back at Lelouch, who finally spoke up, "I've… We've already named him, Mara."

"Have you really?" curiosity splayed itself all over her animated face while the new mother asked, "We have?"

"Yes."

"When did we-"

"Caelum."

"Ooooh, Caelum is such a pretty name." the hairstylists nodded their heads, tittering their approval.

"Caelum?"

"What do you think, C2?"

"Caelum… Why Caelum?" she studied the sleeping face of her child.

"Do you remember? My sister…"

"…. Ah, I remember now…."

"We'll use the name that she gave us. What do you think? Do you like the name?"

"Yes."

"Ooooh, Caelum! Caelum! It's such a beautiful name! With a ringing sound in it and…"

Ignoring the cheers, Lelouch bent down closer to his baby and murmured, "Welcome, Caelum, to the world your father re-created."

"Lelouch?"

"Hmm?" he looked up and brushed his wife's less-than-neat hair away from her eyes.

"Are you going to tell him? About your history."

"… We'll see, C2. We can only tell with time, which is something both you and I have plenty of."

The two smiled at each other and then at their son, who yawned again, their new thousand cranes having come true.

**A/N: I really hope to God that this is better... IDK... I just kinda felt like I was run over by an 18-wheeler when I saw the reactions for the other epilogue. Sorry about that.**


End file.
